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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28809495">King and Lionheart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhapshie/pseuds/rhapshie'>rhapshie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Master/Slave, Minor Character Death, Noble!Kagami, Slave!Aomine, if youre looking for horny this aint it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:34:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>40,734</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28809495</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhapshie/pseuds/rhapshie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's no secret that in every kingdom, there exists a decrepit part that mars its beauty. Everyone turns a blind eye when it comes to slavery and Taiga wishes he can do something about it.</p><p>Unfortunately, for his birthday, his dad bought him a slave. Damn it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aomine Daiki/Kagami Taiga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>103</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Warning: this fic will contain bottom Aomine in the future chapter when the smut does happen cx but for the most part, no smexytime. Sorry!</p><p>I'll try to update every fortnightly, but schedule might be irregular because I wanna make sure this fic turns out good. Thanks Rox for giving me feedback before this is posted!</p><p>Title inspired by Of Monsters and Men song.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Taiga was ninety-nine percent sure he was a disappointment—or at the very least, an embarrassment to the Kagami family. While he used that in a light-hearted, joking manner most of the time much like a self-deprecating comment, somewhere deep within him, he knew it to be true. He was the son of Uehara Kagami, one of the few dukes in the Seirin Kingdom, yet he carried himself with very little poise.</p><p>Unlike his adopted brother Tetsuya who was well-versed in linguistic and acclaimed for his mannerism, Taiga was quite vulgar in the way he presented himself. His father disapproved most of his vocabulary and would occasionally tell him to keep his mouth shut when meeting important individuals as to not offend them, and he also had physical hobbies unbecoming of a noble.</p><p>Fishing was one of the things he enjoyed. It wouldn't be <em>too</em> awfully disgraceful had it not been for his preference to jump into the damned pond with his boots abandoned and pants rolled to his knees, then using his bare hands instead of a rod or a harpoon. Fighting was also his specialty, except not with a sword, no, no, no. He loved getting down and dirty with a greataxe much like the uneducated barbarians who love wreaking havoc in tiny, helpless villages. Taiga liked to think that he wasn't so vile, though.</p><p>Another thing that was the closest to a noble hobby was hunting. Well... except he loved to lug his kill to be skinned, butchered and cooked over a firepit he lit himself. Yeah. It was the most unfortunate for poor elder Kagami who always had to fuss over his son's newest injury day in, day out.</p><p>"You're lucky that your dad is understanding. I'm envious, Taiga." His lifelong friend from Yosen Kingdom who happened to visit said. "If I live your lifestyle, then who knows how much trouble I'll get in?"</p><p>"I guess I <em>am</em> lucky, yeah. I can't imagine having to do all those noble shit. They're so boring." The redhead scratched his cheek after he hoisted up the bucket full of fish on his right hand. The river water sloshed around, wetting some of his attire as they walked back to the castle.</p><p>"What, learning about politics, speaking to yourself in the mirror to practice your mannerism, burying your face in a dictionary is <em>boring</em>? Perish the thought!" Said Tatsuya sarcastically, then followed it with a laugh.</p><p>On the way, they walked past a bustling market scene full of eager merchants trying to sell their goods and a few shifty individuals looking to take something when no one was watching. The pavement underneath them was worn with muddy puddles collecting between the cracks. As they exchanged friendly banters befitting of childhood friends, they let their eyes wander around the area; their noses inhaling the faint smell of something rotten mixing with the delicious aroma of food.</p><p>It was the way that they were dressed that made the crowd part to give way to the two nobles. Taiga, being the familiar face, was constantly hailed by the merchants. Some of the commoner kids, too, said hello to him.</p><p>"You're popular as always, Taiga."</p><p>"I play with some of them sometimes near the river." He shrugged nonchalantly before his lips formed a taut line. "Don't tell dad."</p><p>"You know me. I won't snitch."</p><p>At that, Taiga visibly relaxed. He would hate to be lectured about the importance of saving face for the nth time. It wasn't a big deal that he liked to play with the less fortunate, right? They were all people, at the end of the day. Some of them had so many stories to tell; so many adventures that Taiga badly wanted to partake in.</p><p>Sometimes he imagined what it'd be like to be an adventurer. Travelling across the continent with a few trusted allies, battling increasingly tough opponents and moving up in the ranks by his own efforts. How fulfilling that must be. Instead, he was here stuck between four walls with servants who tended to his every need. Sure, it wouldn't be as bad as the Prince or anything, but it still felt quite stifling.</p><p>As he ran his eyes along the walkway, he noticed a few men wearing torn-up rags lining up near the pier. They were loosely attached through their metal collars by chains, and their feet and wrists were bound. In front of them was a well-dressed man barking orders at them and shoving them to get a move on. The sight of it made Taiga wince. Instead of paying it more attention and potentially create a ruckus, he looked away.</p><p>It was a shame. Seirin was a beautiful kingdom known for its agriculture and hills, but of course, every place was marred by its own ugly secrets.</p><p>The gesture didn't escape Tatsuya's keen observational skill, however. The dark-haired noble lowered his head and spoke quietly. "It's like that in Yosen too."</p><p>Solemnly, Taiga nodded, then he exhaled. "Tetsuya always says that silence in front of an injustice is an act of crime in its own right."</p><p>"It's true." Tatsuya agreed. "At the same time, there's always time and place for everything. Unfortunately for us, it's not right to interrupt with... this way of life."</p><p>"I know." Taiga sighed once again. "Wish there's something I can do, though."</p><p>"If it makes you sleep better at night, most of the time, they're just convicts."</p><p>"Most of the time doesn't equal all the time." Kicking the ground, the redhead scowled.</p><p>"I understand your frustration, Taiga. I really do, but there's nothing we can do. We're just the sons of Dukes, not a Prince or a King. Our words mean absolutely nothing." He looked straight ahead to see that the steps towards the higher part of the city was approaching. Soon, they'd reach the Kagami estate. "This is as far as I'll go. Atsushi is waiting for me at the gate, so I mustn't keep him waiting. You know how irritable he gets."</p><p>Disappointment made itself apparent in Taiga's visage. After all, it wasn't often that Tatsuya could visit him. The distance between Yosen and Seirin wasn't exactly an insignificant one. "Darn. Okay." He set down his bucket of fish and moved to give his childhood friend a firm hug. "Take care, Tatsuya. Say hi to that giant grape for me."</p><p>"Consider it done." He chuckled in return. "See you, Taiga. Take care."</p><p>The noble watched as his friend walked down the market once more, undoubtedly humming to himself. As to not draw the farewell out, he promptly looked away and headed to his house. It was quite a beautiful place with its own garden maintained by their gardeners. There was a small fountain in the middle in the form of a fish spouting out water. Moss grew over the surface, creating a rustic look.</p><p>"I'm home!" He announced with his boisterous voice that echoed inside the large, well-lit room the moment he pushed open the double door. A chandelier hung over the tall ceiling and the red carpet was recently cleaned, Taiga could smell it.</p><p>"Young master!" One of the butlers rushed after him to grab the heavy bucket full of fish from his shoulder. "Your father wouldn't like this very much. Ah, you're all dirty. Please, let me help you." The elderly male bumbled.</p><p>Taiga laughed. "You're overreacting! I'll take this to the kitchen for tonight's dinner, but don't do anything with it just yet. I have a special recipe—"</p><p>"Please leave that to the chef. Today is your birthday and your father insisted to have a family dinner." He interrupted. "He also left a birthday present for you in your room. For now, he would like you to get ready. Young master Tetsuya should be home soon and I believe he has something for you too."</p><p>"Tetsuya's coming back? Hell yeah! Okay, I'll get ready now. See ya, Khael!" Just like that, Taiga dashed away. His feet stomped over the carpet as he ascended up the stairs, almost knocking over a large vase in the process. It had been around a week since his adoptive brother came home, so he was damn excited to finally meet him again.</p><p>And a present from his father? How exciting. Last time, he bought him a brand new greataxe that he adored to this day. While he was the son of a noble, his dad had been nothing short of understanding. He might always try to keep Taiga's habits hush-hush, but that didn't mean he disregarded his son's hobbies.</p><p>With a spring in his steps, he pushed open the door to his room. At the first glance, it was quiet. His bed, surrounded by translucent white silk was perfectly made. Next to it were two polished mahogany nightstands, and—</p><p>His breath hitched when he saw metal chain wrapped around the foot of his bed. His eyes trailed over it and a split second later, he saw the cuff it was attached to.</p><p>A dark-skinned male covered in cleaned rags lied on the floor. He was thin, his face slightly sunken and there were scars all over his skin. Despite his weight, Taiga could see fading signs of muscles that meant this man was once quite well-built. His chest heaved up and down slightly as he quietly snored in his sleep. The man had long eyelashes, soft-looking short navy blue hair that was cut unevenly.</p><p>Taiga inhaled.</p><p>"Dad, what the fuck!"</p><p>The sudden noise made the unmistakable slave on the ground flinch. His eyes fluttered open and he quickly propped himself up to his knees. Taiga's flaming red eyes met the stranger's deep blue ones and they remained like that for what felt like hours. There was something beautiful and enchanting about those eyes. Despite his situation of being bound in his new master's place, there was fire. There was life. <em>Defiance</em>.</p><p>But perhaps he was reading too much into it. Not wanting to get too intrigued, Taiga broke the eye contact. "Are you my 'present'?"</p><p>Still staring at his new master, the man nodded.</p><p>"Seriously... I keep telling him where I stand with this whole slavery thing. Unbelievable." The redhead walked towards the bed and started undoing the chains attached to his bed. The object clattered as it pooled on the ground. "Listen, I—"</p><p>"Please do not do what you are about to do, Kagami-kun."</p><p>"Tetsuya!" The redhead jumped on the spot when he saw his brother standing on the door. "When did you arrive!? Stop scaring me like that."</p><p>"I've been here the entire time." Said the lithe male with light blue hair as he strolled into the bedroom and grabbed the chain. He placed it in Taiga's hand. That aura of neutrality never failed to calm Taiga down, and it was that yin-yang that made them get along so well. Whereas Taiga was a fire, Tetsuya was the ice-cold water. "If you let him go, he will be punished more severely by the slavemaster. Life inside the ring isn't exactly fun and games, you know?"</p><p>The logical statement his brother made led Taiga to grunt. "I guess... But still. What the hell was dad thinking?" Complained Taiga as he clenched the metallic object. This whole time, he felt the slave's piercing eyes staring right at him. There was something seriously weird about that guy, he decided.</p><p>Tetsuya glanced sideways and smiled at the intense gaze. "I think father just wants the best for you."</p><p>"By giving me a slave!?" Aghast, Taiga jerked his head back.</p><p>"I don't see the problem, Kagami-kun," Tetsuya looked at his brother with his icy blue eyes. Before the man could complain, he continued.  "He is not a slave if you do not wish him to be. Treat him as you would a friend and I believe you will get along just fine."</p><p>"Treat him as a friend..." He furrowed his brows. It was true that as long as he wasn't a jerk, then it meant he saved one person from eternal slavery. The moment Taiga looked at the blunette, a shiver ran down his spine. Those eyes... they really weren't eyes of someone helpless. They were the eyes of a fighter; someone who wouldn't back down from anything.</p><p>"Do you see what I mean, Kagami-kun?" Tetsuya interrupted, then whispered very quietly so that only Taiga would be able to hear him. "He has the same eyes as you. I know not what father's motive is for purchasing him as your present, but I believe you might find a sparring partner in him. Or perhaps someone to go hunting and fishing with you."</p><p>Taiga nodded a little uneasily. "Hey. What's your name?"</p><p>The man on his knees frowned. His already squinted eyes became even narrower as he did so.</p><p>"I'm Taiga from the Kagami family." Said the redhead as he dropped the chains. "I mean no harm."</p><p>There was a low growl rumbling from the dark-skinned male's throat. A few seconds elapsed without so much as a squeak. Just as Taiga was getting ready to speak again, he opened his mouth. "Dai."</p><p>"Death threat already?" Taiga jerked his head back.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure that's his name, Kagami-kun." Tetsuya shook his head. "Dai. That's his name."</p><p>"Oh. Dai, not <em>die</em>. Great." He visibly relaxed his shoulder before looking at Tetsuya. "I'm gonna take a shower. You can wait here if you'd like, Tetsuya. Oh, and if you can unlock his cuffs, that'd be great." Knowing full well what an upstanding man his older brother was, the redhead shed his cape and headed for the ensuite.</p><p>The day had been an eventful one, for sure. Starting from Tatsuya's surprise visit for his birthday and now <em>this</em>. He could never have imagined owning a slave of all things, but Tetsuya was right. Dai didn't <em>have</em> to be a slave. As long as Taiga treated him right, then surely, they'd be able to coexist?</p><p>As he turned on the faucet and let the warm water wash all the dirt and grime off his skin, he thought back to the fiery blue eyes. The fact that Dai didn't look too... malnourished, meant that it was only recently that he became a slave. It was no wonder that he still had some fight left in him.</p><p>After he cleaned himself thoroughly, he wrapped a towel around his waist and walked out of the door to see Dai sitting on the foot of his bed with his legs crossed and back slouched. Even after all that, the man's stare didn't relent. It was as intense as ever and Taiga found himself looking away. He couldn't really put a finger on why it made him a bit restless.</p><p>"You know," Taiga moved to his wardrobe to grab a fresh set of attire. Just some simple white T-shirt, an intricately woven dark red vest and black cloth pants that he threw onto the nearby couch. "You don't have to stay. You can leave, I don't care."</p><p>His only response was silence.</p><p>"And you can talk to me without permission." He sighed and began to clothe himself, not forgetting to shed his towel that covered his underwear. However, even after everything was properly worn, not a single peep could be heard. Taiga began to suspect that this was not going to go anywhere. Let alone friends like Tetsuya suggested, he didn't think he'd be able to get Dai to speak. "Well, I'm gonna go. Feel free to wander around."</p><p>Taiga headed for the door and promptly, he heard Dai shuffling behind him. He stood up, stretching his catlike limbs that were much longer than Taiga anticipated. The blunette approached him and only then did Taiga notice how fucking <em>tall</em> he was. Now, he prided himself in his build. He was extremely tall with only a few people he knew who surpassed him. Dai just so happened to be one of them.</p><p>"You're... tall." He remarked dumbly.</p><p>Taiga could've sworn he saw the smallest hint of a smirk grew on Dai's lips before he let out a quiet huff and walked ahead of Taiga. The blunette stood near the corridor and tilted his head to the side as if saying 'after you'.</p><p>Entranced by whatever the hell just happened, Taiga did as implied. He walked forward over the lush dark brown carpet while giving Dai the occasional glance over the shoulder. As suspected, the stare remained. He was like a panther stalking its prey the moment before a strike. To be on the receiving end was unnerving, to say the least.</p><p>Regardless, Taiga manned it up. Surely, Dai wouldn't be so foolish as to strike in broad daylight, if he chose to. And Taiga was no shrinking violet either. If push came to shove, he could totally take that scrawny guy one-on-one.</p><p>He reached the living area downstairs eventually. Tetsuya was already there reading through some papers near the large open window near the most luscious part of the garden where red roses and hydrangeas were the most plentiful. Even during his break, work never stopped, it seemed.</p><p>"Just lay off the paper for a sec, will ya?" Teased the taller male as he sat next to his brother.</p><p>"Work waits for no one, Kagami-kun." Despite what he said, he set them down. "Happy birthday, dear brother." With a smile, they shared a hug that lasted a few seconds. "This is not much, but I believe you will find some use for it." He said, handing Taiga a beautifully crafted shortbow complete with a quiver of metal arrows. The craftsmanship was exceptional even for Taiga's ignorant eyes.</p><p>"This is crazy." He murmured, marvelling at the weapon designed for hunting, considering the colour scheme. "Thanks, Tetsuya. I'll definitely make good use of it." With a sunny grin, he gave his brother one more hug before finally settling for some much-needed catch up. The maids soon came with a cart full of treats and teas that they arranged neatly in front of the brothers.</p><p>Dai sat on the ground next to the sofa with his knees folded and arms around them.</p><p>"You can sit on the couch." Said Taiga after a few minutes of being stared at. "And stop glaring at me. If you've got a problem, just say it. I can't read your mind."</p><p>Despite the multitude of attempts, nothing really changed for the rest of the night and even throughout dinner where Taiga bluntly interrogated his father over a grand meal of whole turkey and other endless amount of lavish food items that Taiga happily gobbled down as per usual.</p><p>"I don't get why you'd do that." He said after gulping.</p><p>With a sigh, his dad set down the fork and knife, then looked at his disgruntled soon who looked rather funny with his mouth covered in sauce. "Taiga, it's time we have a talk."</p><p>"Talk?" He frowned. Dai was still sitting on the floor next to him although he eased up on the glaring for now, thank god. Instead, he opted to eat the food that Taiga generously shared.</p><p>"I'm your father. And as good fathers do, I love you unconditionally. You know this, yes, son?"</p><p>"...Yes...?" The frown became even more prominent now. This seemed serious.</p><p>"And you understand that no matter what secrets you harbour, I will <em>never</em> cast you away."</p><p>"I know, dad." Taiga replied firmly. "And I'm forever grateful for that, but please get to the point. You're making me nervous."</p><p>"You..." He paused. "You are interested in men."</p><p>Taiga choked. As he hit on his chest to get the offending food out of the wrong pipe, Tetsuya was there to soothingly rub his back. "W-what!?" He stammered. "Where did you—how did you—?" It was one of Taiga's biggest secrets that no one except Tatsuya and Tetsuya knew. He made sure to keep it down low, considering how much the public seemed to hate those who were interested in the same gender.</p><p>"Now, I'm not going to judge you, son. As I said, I love you unconditionally and just because you prefer men doesn't mean you are less of my son than you were before. I cannot claim to understand, but know that I won't disown you." He flickered his eyes towards the very bewildered Taiga and the ever-so-neutral Tetsuya. "Just... for the sake of the family, please keep it under wraps."</p><p>It took Taiga a few seconds to snap out of it. He didn't even realise that Dai had stopped eating and was now looking at him in absolute surprise. His usually narrow eyes were wide open and his lips were slightly parted. "O-okay. Yeah. Uh... Thanks." He scratched his cheek. This was not something he thought he'd talk to his dad about, but boy was he glad that there would be no dramas. </p><p>"You are lucky to have Tetsuya as an older brother." He shook his head.</p><p>It was true that as the older one, he was responsible to find a wife and continue the family name. Not for the first time ever, Taiga was extremely grateful for Tetsuya's existence.</p><p>"I'm not sure how set in your path you are, but I figured I'd get you someone to... experiment on, I suppose." Said Uehara, not forgetting to clear his throat at the euphemism.</p><p>"Oh." Taiga looked at Dai who was still staring at him incredulously. "Oooh..." He then looked back at his dad. "Damn it, dad! He's a human being. I'm not gonna do anything to him without his consent. And besides, why him!?"</p><p>"W-why him, you said? Of course, because he is the best looking one out of everyone. And he seems to be your age too..." He stuttered defensively.</p><p>It was true that despite the obvious lack of weight in Dai's figure, he was handsome. His jawline was strong, and... well, his overall appearance was quite desirable, if Taiga may say so himself. However, he couldn't find it in him to jump the man. He was only here due to contractual obligation, and to take advantage of that would put him on the same level as the other slavers.</p><p>"Thanks for the thought, dad. Really." He exhaled. "But I won't do anything like that. I'm gonna let everyone know to treat him as they would my friend, and even if you want him to pull his weight, I want him to be paid the same wage as the other servants."</p><p>Uehara nodded in understanding at his son's kindness. Without putting up any fight, he said. "He's yours. Do what you like, Taiga."</p><p>The rest of the dinner passed by in relative peace. They congratulated him on his birthday once more before retreating for the night. Taiga was stuffed to the brim with food and dessert by the time he went back to his room with Tetsuya and Dai following him.</p><p>"How's work with the King?" Asked the redhead as he yawned. The workout from the afternoon had left him with little energy to spare.</p><p>"Everything is fine. It's mostly a lot of sorting through our finances and letters. Certainly not as eventful as your days, Kagami-kun."</p><p>Taiga scoffed. "I should take you hunting one day. I think you'll be pretty good at it." Turning the doorknob, he switched his attention to Dai who was still as wordless as ever. "Can you fight?"</p><p>The blunette nodded firmly.</p><p>They entered the bedroom where Taiga settled on his bed, Tetsuya on one of the single couches and Dai in the corner of the room. On the floor, of course.</p><p>"Sword?"</p><p>"Fist." He replied curtly.</p><p>"A brawler. We should spar tomorrow, what do you say?"</p><p>Taiga saw Dai's eyebrows rising slightly in interest, but he ultimately said nothing. The man merely shrugged and looked out of the window.</p><p>The brothers talked over some card game for a couple more hours before they parted, leaving Taiga lying on his king-sized bed, completely beat. With a grunt, he glanced at Dai who had not moved an inch. He pursed his lips into a taut line. "Can you turn off the light please?"</p><p>The blunette glanced at him. Again with the pair of piercing blue eyes that made him jolt slightly. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he eventually stood up and did as he was told. There was a click and sudden darkness overtook them. It wasn't completely blinding, however. The curtain above his bed was still open, bringing with it the glimmer of moonlight that never ceased to take Taiga's breath away.</p><p>The moon was high and almost full. Stars flickered across the night sky, winking at him, and Taiga found himself spacing out.</p><p>That was until he felt a dip on the foot of his bed. He glanced forward at the disturbance to see Dai crawling towards him slowly, then settling on his groin.</p><p>"Oi. What the hell?" He frowned at the sudden closeness that was not good for his body. Dai was sitting right on <em>that</em> spot that little had seen before. And the guy had the audacity to gyrate his hips against it. "The fuck, Dai?" He quickly sat up but was immediately shoved back down by the surprisingly powerful man.</p><p>"Stay." He said before he leaned back using both his hands as support. With his chest now jutted forward, he rolled his hips.</p><p>"Hn!" Taiga felt himself throbbing at the friction. Something on the back of his head told him to not resist and let Dai do whatever he wanted, but his conscience begged otherwise. "Dai, cut it out!" Not wanting to be stopped this time, he grabbed the other by the shoulders and pulled him away. "I keep telling you, you're not my slave. You got no obligation to service me."</p><p>"Yeah?" The corner of his lips quirked up into a charming smirk that made Taiga's heart skip a beat. "What if <em>I'm</em> the one taking advantage of you then, <em>master</em>?" </p><p>The redhead was at a loss for word for a moment before he grunted. That was the longest sentence he ever heard the blunette speak. "Just... just sleep or something. Here, I'll make space for you, so don't try anything funny." Said Taiga as he moved closer to the edge, leaving enough space for Dai to lay on.</p><p>"You're weird." Said Dai after a beat.</p><p>"Yeah, you're even weirder. Get some sleep. We'll spar tomorrow, then," he yawned. "we'll go fishing."</p><p>"Fishing?"</p><p>"Mm." Taiga retorted warily as he turned his back towards the other. "With bare hands. None of the fancy tools, so don't worry. I'll teach you."</p><p>Taiga could've sworn he heard Dai chuckling lightly, but that might've been his head playing tricks on him. He closed his eyes soon after while listening to rustling behind him, signifying that Dai had settled on the bed.</p><p>As he allowed sleep to catch up to him, he thought of Tatsuya's words earlier in the day. That led him to wonder if Dai was a convict or someone unjustly thrust into the life of slavery. If he <em>was</em> a convict, then perhaps it wouldn't be wise to leave him uncuffed. However, Taiga was pretty sure there was more than met the eyes when it came to this strange man.</p><p>Because he might be daft, but if there was one thing he took pride in, it was his instinct. If his fight or flight response wasn't triggered after being glared at the entire day, then it must be okay.</p><p>And even through the darkness, Taiga could see it: the pair of piercing stormy blue eyes observing his every move. He was being watched, but he wasn't in danger.</p><p>Well, at least not for now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <a href="https://rhapshie.tumblr.com/post/640281918200512512/i-finished-my-behemoth-of-a-fic-on-ao3-so-i-feel">Don't forget to check the illust on my art tumblr!</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was around 9 AM when a couple of men walked out of the mansion overlooking the market. It was the perfect day for an outing. The sun was high up, bringing with it life and light along with moderate heat that prickled the skin but not agitate it. It was made evident by the bustling market that, while always crowded, now seemed to radiate even more activity.</p><p>Taiga had a stack of huge metal buckets tied with a rope dangling off his shoulder while he looked for the easiest way to traverse through. It proved to be quite the undertaking since a man of his stature was bound to bump into every single body imaginable.</p><p>Dai, on the other hand, was strolling through the sea of people very easily. He only had to tilt his body left or right depending on the situation and he was good to go. Not only that, he did it in such a nonchalant manner too with his hands in his pocket. With a grunt, Taiga quietly cursed at such casual swagger that he wished he had. Alas, he was too big for anything graceful.</p><p>The moment they got to the other side, Taiga was panting. It was bloody hot being crowded by so many people. Dai only stood there, hands still stuffed deep in his pocket, smirking at him ever so slightly. Under Taiga's request, the blunette abandoned his worn rags and was currently wearing a simple white shirt and cloth pants.</p><p>"What're you laughing at, asshole!?" The redhead snapped and stomped past the blunette in a tantrum that coaxed a repressed snort from the other male.</p><p>Dai needed no order. He followed Taiga towards the cluster of trees located just after the market where they had to hope past some large tree trunks while letting the midday noise slowly come to a muffle. It was replaced by the sound of the running river that they finally reached just a few seconds later. It was hidden away behind berry-bearing bushes.</p><p>"We're here! Let's go get ourselves some lunch." Taiga dropped his buckets near the riverbank and kicked off his leather boots with reckless abandon. </p><p>"Lunch?" Dai questioned curiously as he watched the strange noble waddling bare feet through the river. Mud and gunk pooled around his ankles but he didn't seem to care. Instead, he only rolled his sleeves up as if this was a usual day for him.</p><p>"Yep. I'm experimenting with what berries and natural spices I can use to cook. So we're gonna need a lot of fishes." Taiga turned towards Dai with a bright, confident grin. His hands were on his hips, then he tilted his head towards the river. "C'mon. Help out if you wanna eat. Or if this ain't your thing, maybe you can look around to see what interesting stuff you can grab me."</p><p>"I'll... look around." Said Dai tentatively. A man of few words. Taiga was getting accustomed to it.</p><p>"Suit yourself. Don't forget to pocket some dry sticks or anything we can use to start a fire." Waving Dai off, he began to look for his prey. "Ah, there." Hunching his back, he smiled. Behind him, he could hear rustling sound as a sign that Dai probably had started leaving.</p><p>So he spent the next hour or so snatching fish after fish. He threw them all in the bucket filled with water. There was a total of around 9, 2 medium and 6 small fishes that he split between the four metal containers he brought. "Gotcha!" He laughed to himself at the tenth fish he caught. It was a new best for him. "Sorry, little guy."</p><p>The redhead hummed as he placed the creature to join its friends. When he looked up, he was just in time to see Dai emerging from behind the trees with an armful of items. He was also munching on something. The blunette then put everything down and Taiga nodded.</p><p>"Thanks. Let's see what you've got." He murmured while popping a few blueberries that Dai found into his mouth. "Oh, coconut! This is perfect." Said Taiga with his mouth full. "Alright, let's start sorting out the berries from everything else—wait," He looked down at the pile of items only to pick up a lumpy rock-looking food item. "Did you just find a fucking truffle?"</p><p>Dai shrugged in response, although he had a proud smirk on his charming lips. Those little gestures and a hint of personality, while rare, Taiga learned to pay attention to. Small victories.</p><p>"You did <em>not</em>!" As he laughed, he punched Dai's shoulder playfully. "We're having coconut-infused fish with blueberry rub and topped with truffle. That sounds good to you?"</p><p>The dark-skinned male nodded vehemently. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed his saliva as evidence that he couldn't wait to feast.</p><p>"Let's see... Oh, you got some pinecones. I can work with that." He grabbed a pocket knife and started carving the dry product while Dai stared curiously at Taiga's handiwork. "Pine nuts come from pinecones, you know? We can use them for some extra crunch."</p><p>"Hm..." The dark-skinned male hummed.</p><p>"Can you start the fire, Dai?" When all he got was a frown, Taiga sighed. "Fine, I'll teach you." It was strange to find a commoner who couldn't light a fire by hand. In fact, he learned it from mere kids around ten years younger than he was. <em>Thirteen</em> years old kids! In the beginning, he struggled. Callouses formed on his palm and he had some splinters too. <em>Definitely</em> bled. Nowadays, he was far more accustomed to it.</p><p>Using his knife, he cut down the sticks to half where he could see the clear lines of the pith. Then, he began scraping off some of it to make more space for his other smaller stick to lodge into. Satisfied with his handiwork and noticing that Dai was giving him his undivided attention, Taiga grabbed the other stick and began cutting the corners to form a pointy edge.</p><p>"Just like this, then you want to make friction back and forth against the pith here."</p><p>Dai narrowed his eyes and watched as Taiga began to furiously move the stick back and forth. In the beginning, nothing happened and Dai ended up glancing up at Taiga who had this biggest smile on his face like he'd just won the lottery.</p><p>"Look!" He laughed heartily when the pith started to blacken and smoke formed. "Grab me the dry leaves. Quick!" At this point, he was panting due to the strenuous exercise. It wasn't an easy task to light a fire even for someone of his physical status. Perhaps it was why Taiga loved doing it so much.</p><p>Dai immediately grabbed a handful of the leaves he collected earlier and handed it to his master. The redhead then upturned the base stick so some of the burned chips landed on the leaves.</p><p>"Then you blow. Like this." Gently, he inhaled and exhaled from his mouth. Smoke billowed, and Dai gasped when a small fire started to burn. Taiga quickly dropped it onto the neatly arranged dry sticks next to him before the wind could extinguish it. "Did you catch all that?"</p><p>However, Dai was too busy staring at the firepit in awe. His blue eyes were wide open and they shimmered. The sight warmed Taiga's heart a little. He looked like a little kid who had just tasted candy for the first time, a far cry from how he usually carried himself.</p><p>"Well, let's cut the coconuts then."</p><p>Then they worked as a team to get everything ready. After drinking the refreshing coconut water, Dai was in charge of crushing the blueberries in one of the emptied shells while Taiga started to scale the fish using his washed dagger. They did it in relative silence as expected, considering it was only the noble who did the talking. Despite having a one-sided conversation, there was something oddly comforting about it. It wasn't like Dai wasn't listening. In fact, Taiga could <em>feel</em> his intense focus. It also helped that the man would occasionally grunt as an acknowledgement.</p><p>While he let Dai shave some coconut flesh and mix it thoroughly with the crushed blueberries, Taiga gathered some hickory roots from around the river area, boiled them over the fire using another emptied coconut shell until he was left only with dark crystals that he mixed with the marinade.</p><p>Then, they put the smaller fishes inside the shells while impaling the bigger ones on sticks Dai gathered earlier.</p><p>"Phew!" Taiga rubbed the sweat off his face with his muddy arm, leaving streaks of dirt in its wake. "Alright, while we wait for that to cook, let's do some sparring."</p><p>"You're not out of energy yet?" Dai shook his head, clearly surprised at the noble's endurance.</p><p>"This much is nothing!" He emphasised his point by wildly rolling his right shoulder. "Come on, you had a huge breakfast. Surely you can go for another few minutes."</p><p>Dai could only gawk at Taiga, but ended up getting to his feet after a few seconds. He stretched his arms, rolled his shoulders and did small bunny hops as a warm-up.</p><p>"Ready or not, here I come!"</p><p>Taiga started light with a few jabs to see how good of a fighter his partner was. Expectedly enough, he dodged every single one of them with very minimal movement. The corner of his lips upturned to a smirk as if taunting him, and Taiga had never been one to back out.</p><p>Then he started to vary his moves. Mixing some hook, uppercuts and even kicks, he moved forward to slowly corner the blunette, but it was apparent that the man wasn't going to take it lying down.</p><p>Through the short sparring session, Taiga noticed how different their stances were. While he was more rooted with a heavier centre of gravity, Dai was extremely agile. His punches packed little power comparing to his but that was only expected, considering his lack of muscles. He had to admit, getting a lot of those would definitely form some bruises.</p><p>Dai seemed to be enjoying it too. He might not notice it, but he let a few hints of smile escape. This was especially visible after a close call of getting his nose broken.</p><p>A good brawl had always been a distraction for Taiga. As such, it wasn't even surprising that he lost track of time and only snapped out of it when he smelt something burning.</p><p>"The fish!" The redhead scrambled towards the fire, but thankfully it was just the head that was excessively crispy. While overcooked, they were still salvageable. For that, Taiga was thankful. He quickly removed everything from the fire's vicinity while Dai only watched him in the background, not knowing what to do.</p><p>"Is the food okay?" He asked curiously. A question to which Taiga replied with a nod.</p><p>"Yeah, it's fine. Just a bit crispy." He grinned before offering a stick of cooked fish to Dai whose eyes immediately sparkled. Despite the clear offer, he did nothing except stare at it like a trained dog would a snack. It saddened Taiga to see it. In the past, he must've been denied nourishment by his masters and mistresses. With a comforting smile, he nudged the stick forward again. "Go on. Have it."</p><p>Dai hesitated for a moment. His eyes kept flicking between the food and Taiga before he swallowed and gave in. He snatched the stick and began to nibble on it immediately, making Taiga grin. It always made him swell with joy to see someone eating his creation and Dai was doing it with such enthusiasm that he almost forgot to take his share.</p><p>"How is it?" Asked Taiga as he mixed everything inside the coconut bowl and took a sip of the flavour-packed broth that had simmered down.</p><p>Dai, his mouth dirtied with the blueberry rub, glanced up at his company from his sitting position and gave him this look that said 'you're really asking me that?'.</p><p>"I'll take it as a yes." He grinned, then offered the coconut shell. "Here, taste it. I hope it's even better. The truffle is super fresh, so it's even more pungent."</p><p>After picking off some fish bones off his teeth, he put down the stick and gladly gobbled down the bowl's content with such vigour.</p><p>"Shit," Dai moaned. "This is so fucking good."</p><p>"Yeah?" That made Taiga grin, his heart drumming in excitement. It wasn't often that he had someone to share his meal with. His family had always been too occupied for such menial task and the commoners tended to be too busy trying to make end's meet, so they were nowhere to be found during the day.</p><p>"Mmph," He mumbled, refusing to stop stuffing his mouth full of fish except when he had to pick bone out. "The truffle..." He hummed in approval. "What the hell, this is the best meal I've ever had in my life."</p><p>"Well, aren't you talkative?" Playfully elbowing the other, Taiga teased.</p><p>"Shuddap." He growled in a pouty voice that Taiga found quite adorable.</p><p>Both of them then swiftly finished their large lunch. It was smaller than what the redhead would usually have, but it was enjoyable nonetheless, especially with someone else with him. While Dai didn't say much after being badgered, his presence alone was enough. Taiga had always been an extrovert who thrived by being around good company, after all.</p><p>"What's that?" Dai pointed at the last bowl of coconut containing some red liquid with some white chunks floating around. It looked an awful lot like watermelon juice, which would be perfect to wash down the excellent meal.</p><p>"You brought some fly agaric mushrooms with you." Taiga shrugged. "They're poisonous as hell, but if prepared correctly and consumed at the right amount, you'll get a..." He smirked mischievously. "Kick."</p><p>"A kick?" Dai narrowed his eyes. "You're talking about getting high?"</p><p>"More than high. Off your rockers kinda high. Like, hallucination-inducing kinda high."</p><p>"No shit." A huge grin grew on the blunette's mouth. It was certainly the widest it had ever been and something about it made Taiga's heart beat wildly in his chest.</p><p>"Yeah, it's super dangerous, so let's keep it for tonight when we're not by ourselves in the middle of this mini-forest." Said Taiga as he popped open his small bottle and poured the content into it. Even when the container disappeared into his pouch, he could still feel Dai's curious eyes. "Well, let's go home. I think it's time I tend to my horse."</p><p>"You... look after the horse?"</p><p>"Mm? Yeah. She's mine, so I'd rather to wash and feed her myself. Like some sort of bonding time, y'know?" Again, he missed Dai's baffled expression. Taiga was well-aware that his hobbies were rather unconventional by noble standards, but it gave him a chance to speak with the servants too who had so many tales. He had never met someone whose life wasn't fascinating. In fact, it was due to this nonchalance that he was so very loved by everyone at home.</p><p>They took a quieter way home. It was a bit of a detour, but it beat having hundreds of people flattening them into the ground. Taiga was dismayed to know that after what happened earlier, Dai returned to his quiet self. His footsteps were light and almost inaudible as they traversed through the small forest. All Taiga could hear was the slight rustling of fallen leaves as they dragged their feet.</p><p>"So what's your story?" He decided to make a conversation. "You know... what happened before you became... a slave."</p><p>The crude word coaxed Dai to scratch on his neck where his collar would usually sit. However, it was not there. Nevertheless, he scowled. "None of your business, master."</p><p>"You can call me Taiga. How many times have I told you I have no intention of being your master?"</p><p>"People change their minds. Yesterday's friend can be today's enemy." Answered him with a shrug.</p><p>That statement made the redhead frown, but he decided to not press his luck any more than he already had. Dai had once again shoved his hands in his pocket, shoulders up high and posture stiff. Not for the first time ever, it led Taiga to wonder what exactly it was that Dai did to warrant this fate.</p><p>His mulling proved to be distraction enough for the trip back. Unfortunately, instead of coddling, he was met with an extremely distraught butler and stable hands who immediately rushed to Taiga's side.</p><p>"What's wrong, you guys?" He raised his eyebrows.</p><p>"Ah, it's... uh," One of them stammered. "Ten is missing, young master!"</p><p>"Huh!?" Taiga jerked back. "Ten!? How did that happen?" Clearly distraught, the redhead stepped forward and his muscular body in its entirety with him. The poor commoner boy donning his work overalls flinched and started to look like he was about to cry.</p><p>"I—I forgot to lock the door this morning. When I checked up on her, she was already gone. I swear on my life it wasn't intentional! You have to—"</p><p>"It's okay." Taiga sighed. "It's fine. I trust you. For now, let's go look for her." He visibly deflated before turning to Dai. "Let's go, then. Ten is my horse. A feisty thing, she is. She's fully white with some black spots on her legs."</p><p>The dark-skinned male nodded in understanding and they turned around to head back to the market.</p><p>"I have no idea where she is, so we'll just have to look around. Oh, and if you find her, don't try to approach her but tell me. Otherwise she'll just kick you and run away."</p><p>"And how am I gonna find you?"</p><p>"...Good point." Taiga laughed dryly. "Fine, let's search near the same area. Why don't we go back to the forest?"</p><p>And went back they did. For a few minutes, Taiga yelled out Ten's name while Dai simply used his own eyes. Despite their efforts, nothing seemed to change and Taiga grew even more concerned. Dismayed, Taiga decided to find Dai so they could go back to their mansion. Hopefully one of the servants found her.</p><p>Ten was the first gift he remembered receiving from his dad. A beautiful foal he grew up with. While he didn't like how dexterous one had to be in order to ride a horse, he loved playing with her. And so, he took it as his responsibility to care and make sure she was well taken care of. If she disappeared, then it would mean more for him than merely losing a replaceable horse.</p><p>He swatted away some overgrown branches as he tried to look for Dai. The thought of the companion running away didn't even cross his mind. Call it naivete, but his brain was far too occupied to think about anything else other than Ten.</p><p>With his breath bated after all the effort exerted, he took a step towards the clearing where he heard some rustles.</p><p>Dai was there, but he wasn't alone. In fact, his lithe figure was mounted atop a graceful animal whose brushed tail swayed left and right as it snorted. He gently tugged on the leash in such a controlled manner that it made Taiga pause momentarily.</p><p>"Dai?" He eventually called out.</p><p>Seamlessly, he manoeuvred the horse to turn towards Taiga before he realised what exactly he was doing. Almost immediately, he scrambled off the unmistakable Ten.</p><p>"My bad." He whispered quietly as if his ego couldn't take its body apologising.</p><p>"No, no." Taiga frowned. "It's okay... but..."</p><p>"Don't ask." He looked away bitterly.</p><p>"Dai, you had full control of Ten. She's not the easiest thing to handle, yet—no, not that. How can you ride a horse, to begin with? It's not exactly a skill that commoners have." The redhead took a step forward and motioned at Ten to come towards him. The horse snorted and obediently trotted towards her rightful owner. He then patted her affectionately, but without breaking eye contact with Dai.</p><p>"I... used to be friends with you lots." Was his only answer. He then turned around and started walking towards the exit of the small forest.</p><p>In hindsight, maybe that should've rang some bells in Taiga's head. <em>Used</em> to be. That meant something must've happened so he was suddenly demoted into a slave that mostly comprised of convicts. An accident, perhaps? Or simply envy went wrong. However, no matter how crass Dai presented himself, Taiga doubted that he was capable of murder.</p><p>Or maybe it was his naivete speaking once more.</p><p>Regardless, he cautiously followed the ever so mysterious Dai who somehow found it in him to shroud himself even further in darkness. No matter how Taiga looked at it, he became more certain that Dai was no normal commoner. Nobles didn't make it a habit to befriend those in a lower hierarchy than them, as much as it dismayed Taiga, but for the blunette to be able to approach them must mean there definitely was something else behind those enchanting blue eyes. Perhaps an overflowing charisma long gone due to his status as a slave now? Whatever it was, Taiga wanted to find out.</p><p>They reached their mansion soon enough where everyone was exceedingly relieved upon seeing Ten return unharmed.</p><p>.</p><p>It was business as usual after that. Taiga worked on pampering Ten with affection while Dai sat in the corner, fidgeting. It was obvious that he was unaccustomed to the sight of a noble being too involved in the grooming of his pet, so the visible confusion was warranted.</p><p>Dai didn't say a single word, of course. However, Taiga could tell that the man was watching them. Not with hostility like before, but with unadulterated curiosity. At this point, though, he was already accustomed to Dai's antics, so he merely acted as if no one was present. He hummed as he brushed Ten's beautiful fur and spoke to her with a coddling tone akin to that of a father to his babe.</p><p>"What do you say we go hunting tomorrow?" Taiga asked, snapping Dai out of it. The blunette seemed surprised, so he jolted a little before shifting tentatively on his feet.</p><p>"I guess." He mumbled, looking down at the dirt mixed with hay. Despite the valiant attempt at masking his emotions, Taiga could see the excitement flitting across his eyes.</p><p>"Alright! We'll have a huge lunch then. You know how to do it, Dai?"</p><p>The blunette nodded. "I use spear, usually."</p><p>"That can be arranged. I'm sure you'll find something you like on the market." Taiga patted his shoulder as they made their way out of the stable and towards the mansion. The contact coaxed a flinch and it led Taiga to lower his hand. "Sorry." He murmured.</p><p>Dai nodded in response.</p><p>.</p><p>The inner rooms of the castle was not a sight unfamiliar for Tetsuya who spent most of his days cooped inside, head buried in paperwork that entailed his duty as the adviser to the current King. While it wasn't exactly unpleasant, sometimes he wished he could live the life that his younger brother led. Alas, he knew he had his own place in life and to ask for more would be selfish.</p><p>So, he opted to keep his head down and welcome the occasional interruption throughout the day, and it looked like he was overdue for one as the double door to his office was gently swung open.</p><p>"Prince Teppei." He regarded with a deep bow after he stood up.</p><p>"Be at ease, Tetsuya." Said the light-hearted crown prince of Seirin Kingdom.</p><p>He straightened his back with a faint smile decorating his lips. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"</p><p>"Why, can't I speak with a dear friend?" Answered the taller male with a laughter. "I just heard the news that the crown prince and princess of the Touou Kingdom are visiting."</p><p>"And you heard correctly. They are en route as we speak and will arrive in a few days."</p><p>"How surprising." Replied Teppei as he dragged a chair to sit on. "They're not exactly known as the social type. It makes me wonder if something is afoot."</p><p>"I heard that a fugitive from their Kingdom resides among us."</p><p>"Surely they have a few men to spare, considering their military prowess. Why must the prince and princess visit, of all people?"</p><p>"I can't claim to understand the reasoning behind it, but I believe it is a chance to tighten our diplomatic bond, considering how impartial Touou has been about the topic." Tetsuya said unblinkingly. "Regardless, I doubt it's our place to intervene in their private affairs."</p><p>Teppei nodded with a thoughtful hum. "I suppose." But then his tense expression that lasted a mere few seconds melted to reveal his usual kind facade. "But enough about that. I came here to see how you're doing. I was hoping father hasn't overloaded your plate but looks like I'm wrong. No rest for the wicked."</p><p>Tetsuya chuckled lightly before taking a seat and pushing the stack of paper to the side. It was time for a break.</p><p>.</p><p>While Taiga would be the first to admit his life wasn't miserable to the point where he needed some sort of catharsis, sometimes a change was the most welcome. He had never been one to shirk away from a good adventure, hence why he constantly sought anything out of the ordinary.</p><p>He looked at the two small potion vials filled with fly agaric concoction he created earlier. Well, 'concoction' was a word far too posh for getting high out of his mind, but alas.</p><p>With a shit-eating grin, he offered one to Dai who gently moved the container left and right to see the red liquid moving around, then he looked at Taiga.</p><p>"You saw me brewing it. It was just mushroom and water. You're in safe hands, Dai. I've done this multiple times with my brother—well, my <em>other</em> brother. Tatsuya." He smiled. "My master was the one who taught me the recipe. A wacky one, she is."</p><p>Dai still seemed unconvinced.</p><p>"Well. Bottom's up!" With a deep breath, he popped open the lid and tipped the entire thing into his mouth. The watery liquid slipped past his throat and immediately, he felt his stomach warming up due to the temperature of the boiled mix.</p><p>That seemed enough for Dai to follow suit. He, too, drank the whole thing in one go.</p><p>"Okay, it should set in any minute now." Said Taiga as got off his couch and sat on the edge of his bed. "Trust me, it feels awesome. Like you're weightless. Like you can fly."</p><p>"So like alcohol."</p><p>"But better." He grinned and watched as Dai settled on the other couch, his back sinking into the fluffy backrest. "Hey."</p><p>The blunette glanced at Taiga.</p><p>"I know you've been through a lot and your previous masters might haven't been accommodating, but... uhm." He scratched his head. "What I wanna say is you can trust me. I won't hurt you."</p><p>A flash of something could be seen in Dai's eyes before he snapped his head towards the window. "Everyone has their place in the world. This is mine now. I don't need your sympathy."</p><p>"It's not sympathy." Taiga pressed, his red eyes narrowing defensively. "I was just saying that... I wanna be friends with you."</p><p>That made Dai bite his lower lip, but he insisted on not looking Taiga's way.</p><p>"Tetsuya said we're similar. I think I understand what he meant after earlier." The redhead smiled. "You're just like me, Dai. We both love doing things outside of the walls. Fishing, hunting, fighting... You love doing them too, right?"</p><p>"You know nothing about me." He replied with a slightly shaky voice that didn't convince Taiga in the slightest.</p><p>"Whatever you say." Amused, the slightly shorter male snorted. The two fell quiet for a moment until he noticed Dai's frown became more dominant.</p><p>"...What's that?" He muttered.</p><p>"What?" Taiga looked out the window.</p><p>"That. You see it too, right? There's like firework outside. It's flashing and shit."</p><p>"Firework?" The redhead furrowed his brows before it clicked. "Hah! You're hallucinating already, Dai!"</p><p>"Heh?" He glanced at his company. "Whoa, there's two of you!"</p><p>"Dai, you grew a beard!" Feeling the content of the vial now rising up to his head, he laughed.</p><p>"I don't have a beard, stupid."</p><p>"Oh, hey Tetsuya!" Taiga waved at the door where he could see the figure of his brother. "You finished work already? You didn't—oh, wait. Are you real?" He proceeded to walk towards the man and put a hand on his shoulder only for the sight to disappear, leaving him staring at the door. Almost immediately after that, he heard Dai running behind him. When he turned around, he was met with the sight of his company crouched on the floor. "What are you doing?"</p><p>"There's a crayfish. It went under your bed." He then pulled up the fabric and started looking around in the darkness. "Woah, there's another one!"</p><p>"Crayfish?"</p><p>"Yeah! There's so many back where I lived. I used to love catching them." A grin grew on Dai's lips and it was a sight that Taiga loved. Seeing this usually glum man brighten up was always a treat. "They're like lobsters but easier to find in the river."</p><p>"Do you eat them?"</p><p>"No!" He looked scandalised by the question. "Are you a monster? Crayfishes are like, my friends."</p><p>"You're friends with crayfishes? You give them names too?" Taiga laughed again.</p><p>"You bet! I kept three in my room and my dad always told me to throw them away. But he just didn't understand, y'know. If you can keep cats, dogs and horses as pets, why can't you do the same to crayfishes?" Dai babbled away. "If I become king one day, I'm gonna make eating crayfishes illegal."</p><p>"What the hell?" The redhead cracked up. "You're gonna arrest all those crayfish hunters and throw them in your dungeon?"</p><p>"It's what they deserve. The worst crime ever." The blunette threw himself onto the bed and crossed his arms.</p><p>"Wait, wait," Now shaking with laughter, he took a seat next to Dai. "So say, I catch a crayfish and cook it, you're gonna punish me too?"</p><p>"I'll beat you up, asshole. Crayfishes are friends. You don't eat <em>friends</em>, you monster." He suddenly stopped speaking. "Stay still."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Shush." Dai lifted his hands up then slapped them on Taiga's chest to form a cup. "Gotcha! Look." He then opened his palms.</p><p>"Holy crap, is that a bunny? How did you do that?"</p><p>"A bunny? It's a fucking beetle, you dung."</p><p>"No, no. Look. It's eating a carrot! Do it again. Do it again!" Instead of trying to justify what he just saw, Taiga ended up clapping enthusiastically. Then, the door slammed open.</p><p>"Young Master!" Stood the head butler, his eyes horrified. "Did you consume the fly agaric again!?"</p><p>"N-no... What are you talking about—W-woah! Khael, there's a bear behind you! Duck!"</p><p>"There is no <em>bear</em>." He shook his head before walking towards the table to gather the two empty vials. He inspected them for a few seconds before sighing. "Young Master, your father will not like this."</p><p>"Don't tell him then. Hey Dai, can you see him too or am I just imagining things?"</p><p>"Young master!" He gasped before glaring at Dai. "You! Did you do this to him? Fess up, criminal!"</p><p>"Whoa, whoa!" Taiga raised his hands before Dai could say anything in his defence. "Don't talk to my friend like that. Apologise."</p><p>"<em>Friend</em>? He is a slave. It's unbecoming of a noble to befriend a slave! He might brandish a dagger if you let your guard down."</p><p>"Hey, no! You don't get to say that." The redhead put his arm around Dai's shoulder and pulled him closer. "If you say one more bad thing about him, I'm seriously gonna get angry. Leave, Khael."</p><p>"But—"</p><p>"<em>Leave.</em> That's an order." For the first time in a long while, his voice became cold. His usually bright red eyes now radiated nothing but hostility and that was enough to stiffen the butler.</p><p>"I ran my tongue. I apologise." The butler bowed his head. "Excuse me, Young Master." The door clicked shut the moment the man left and Taiga slowly lowered his arm.</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>"You didn't have to do that." Dai muttered, his body shaking slightly due to the concoction.</p><p>"Yes I did. Sometimes people forget that slaves are human too." He shrugged and before Dai could say anything else, a playful grin returned to Taiga's face, effectively shattering the earlier's tension. "Anyway, tell me more about the bunny!"</p><p>"It's a beetle. I keep telling you."</p><p>The effect lasted for another few hours through the night and when they woke up, they regretted their entire lives. Their stomachs cramped up and they ended up spending the next few minutes doubling over on the sink and toilet bowl, throwing up with the servants tending to them in a panicky mess.</p><p>Taiga didn't regret a single moment of it despite the consequences and he would daresay that Dai didn't either.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another update! I kinda went wild with the fly agaric thing and it won't be accurate for sure haha. Don't do fly agaric, kids.</p><p>oh, and shoutout to Laz for the great horse name XD &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>No matter the day, Taiga made it a point to wake up early. While yesterday was an exception due to the whole fly agaric situation that forced him to stay cooped up inside the mansion along with Dai, today was business as usual. Currently, he was in the kitchen helping out the cooks with preparing various meals while keeping friendly banter. They had done so much to teach him in the art of cooking. In fact, most of what he was able to do today was mostly thanks to them.</p><p>He left Dai still nestled under the duvet. Through the few days he spent with the guy, Taiga learned that he wasn't exactly a morning person. In fact, if not pushed, he'd probably stay in bed all day long.</p><p>After he finished eating his own breakfast and making sure that there were some left for Dai, he returned to his bedroom to see the pile of blanket remained unmoving. Dai was still lightly snoring underneath it all while only clad in black shorts. With a fond smile, Taiga grabbed the fabric and yanked it harshly.</p><p>He was about to yell out 'rise and shine' to force his new friend awake, but his words failed him. He hadn't noticed it before because Dai was always clothed, but now that he saw the other's nude torso, he noticed just how malnourished he was. Just like his cheeks, his stomach was sunken in and he could clearly see the lines from Dai's ribcage sticking out. It was a sight so far from the definition of healthy, unlike what he was used to seeing in the mirror.</p><p>Not only that, he could see three huge gashing scars running across his side to his belly that looked like it was no more than a few weeks old. It looked like a wild animal's claw mark. It was sloppily sewn by someone who was obviously untrained in the field. To go along with it were a few other smaller marks that looked no less harrowing. It painted a picture of what exactly Dai went through before he finally arrived in the Kagami Estate.</p><p>He only realised that Dai had been staring back at him when he saw the man's hand lightly tracing his large scar. "Ugly, huh?"</p><p>"Dai... I—" He gripped the blanket tightly.</p><p>"Spare me your pity." With a small snarl, he got to his feet and grabbed yesterday's shirt that was pooled on the floor.</p><p>"You have to get it treated. I mean, at least get it sewn properly before it completely heals."</p><p>Dai chuckled, opening up his arms in a shrugging motion as to highlight the horrific sight. "What, you don't approve of my handiwork?"</p><p>Taiga's eyes widened at the rhetoric. His previously shocked red orbs now mixed with one of... confusion? Anger, perhaps. "You did it <em>yourself</em>?"</p><p>He shrugged way too nonchalantly and proceeded to disregard the pressing question. "What's for breakfast?"</p><p>Instead of answering, Taiga approached Dai. He put a hand on his back and the other on his kneepits, then yanked him up into a princess carry.</p><p>"Dude, what!?" He yelped.</p><p>"I'm taking you to the healer. I won't have a no as an answer, so don't even think of struggling." Firmly, he stuck his nose up at Dai as to show that it wasn't a jest. He took a deep breath before stomping down the hallway like a kid who was refused sweets.</p><p>"L-let me go, stupid!" The blunette smacked Taiga right in the chest a few times but even though they were surprisingly powerful punches for someone his size, Taiga was far too determined to make sure Dai was patched up to mind the hits. Some of the servants, too, looked baffled at the sight their young master carting off his slave outside the mansion without so much as a parting word.</p><p>His usual healer lived not too far from their residency. Only a minute or so walk with a very embarrassed Dai who now opted to cross his arms with a pout rather than being charged with assault. Most of the early birds who were already awake only gasped as they saw the duke's son cutting through the road, only leaving wind in his wake.</p><p>"Riko!" The redhead said out loud the moment he opened the door to a brick building whose interior was painted in white.</p><p>"How many times do I have to tell you to take care of your body, dummy!" Was her first response before even having to turn to the door. When she did, though, she frowned. "Who's this?"</p><p>"My friend. Dai. He needs some help." He then turned towards the raven-haired receptionist who fashioned a smile. "Izuki."</p><p>"Morning, Taiga. You look so horrified like you're about to... Dai."</p><p>Silence.</p><p>"Bring him inside." The female healer tilted her head to one of the empty rooms and Taiga nodded. The two ignored the poor joke and instead, made their way towards it. After settling the still-disgruntled Dai on the bed, the redhead pulled his shirt up to reveal a gnarly wound that made her cringe.</p><p>"Yeah. It's gonna scar really badly, but I thought maybe you can do something about it."</p><p>"I'm not a miracle worker, Taiga." She shook her head. "But fine, I'll see what I can do. Does it hurt?" She glanced at the blunette's torso but she couldn't help seeing a mark on the right side of his arm. It was of a circle crossed in the middle. A slave brand. That led her to frown at Taiga. "...He's yours?"</p><p>In response, the male exhaled. "My dad. He was being weird."</p><p>"Then this wound—"</p><p>"You think <em>I</em> did that!?" Taiga retracted defensively.</p><p>"No. I guess not." She murmured. "You wouldn't, would you?"</p><p>"I'd sooner die!"</p><p>Riko nodded in understanding, relief painted all over her. "Alright. Leave him to me." Said the healer as she once again inspected the wound. "Unfortunately there's little I can do about the sewing, but I can at least soothe it so it doesn't scar as bad."</p><p>"Just do the best you can." The redhead muttered while Dai allowed the woman to run her hand all over his body.</p><p>The spell's effect was almost immediate. Taiga watched as Riko let loose her magic that he had experienced one too many times. For such a stern young woman who'd sooner yell at you than she would worry over a wound, she was surprisingly gentle. Even Dai looked stunned at how quickly she worked her magic.</p><p>"Alright, all done. If you weren't in any pain before, you shouldn't be now either." The doctor patted Dai's belly before giving him back his shirt.</p><p>"Thanks." Taiga grinned. "How much do I owe you?"</p><p>Riko eyed Dai calculatingly as if gauging something that Taiga didn't quite understand what. Then, she shrugged and smiled lightly. "On the house this one time."</p><p>.</p><p>The entire afternoon, Dai wouldn't stop touching his stomach. He'd occasionally lift his shirt up and trace over the closing scar. His skin somehow kept regrowing overtime. It was how magic worked, yet he looked intrigued all the same. It was amusing to see, Taiga thought. He could definitely relate to that because the first time he went to Riko to get treated, he kept staring at his own arm until his father told him to cut it out. Magic was such a fascinating thing.</p><p>"Stop touching it." The redhead said as he put on his leather vest. While rubbing it wouldn't agitate the wound or anything, he thought it'd be good to finally get a move on. "Let's go to the market and get you a spear." He frowned. "You're okay, right? I mean your stomach. It doesn't hurt or anything?"</p><p>"I'm fine." The blunette pulled down his shirt before standing up and glancing at Taiga. "Are you really giving me a spear?"</p><p>"Uh, yeah. To hunt properly, you're gonna need a weapon."</p><p>The rebuttal arrived a few seconds delayed as Dai was too busy staring at Taiga to see whether or not he was serious. When the two merely locked eyes without a word, Dai frowned. "Aren't you scared?"</p><p>"Scared?" He raised his forked eyebrows.</p><p>"I might turn on you once I have a mean of defending myself." Said Dai calmly. His expression was unreadable as he said it.</p><p>Taiga pursed his lips momentarily but there was not even a single hint of concern as he observed Dai's visage. "You won't."</p><p>"How can you be so sure?" Dai straightened his back. "With all your talk about us being friends, you still know nothing about me. I can be a cold-blooded killer for all you know."</p><p>"I guess, but is it wrong to trust a friend?" Instead of scorn, he replied with a big grin that brought a deeper frown into the other's face.</p><p>"You're too gullible. Not everyone's nice, you know?" Said Dai as he walked towards the door leading to the hallway from the bedroom. "And when you finally realise it, it'll be too late."</p><p>"S-so what if I'm gullible? I'm not defenceless. I can fight if people ask for it!" The redhead complained but he received no response in return. Dai kept walking, giving Taiga no choice but to follow him albeit with a scowl. Many people had said that he, indeed, was quite sheltered. His best friend and older brother wouldn't stop going on and on about it. His mentor, Alex, even once warned that it'd be his downfall, especially in this day of age full of unexpected betrayal. People would do anything if given enough gold.</p><p>Taiga wouldn't claim to understand the accusations considering what an uneventful life he'd lived so far. Besides, was it really so wrong to trust someone? It wasn't like anyone had let him down. He was sure that Dai wouldn't either. Despite the cold shoulder he was given sometimes, the blunette didn't seem so bad. It had been a while since Taiga found a playmate he could spend tons of time with.</p><p>All the thinking led him to the market. The crowd had died down slightly since the morning rush had ended, but there were still many souls lingering. Dai was next to him, casually turning left and right to observe the stalls until he caught sight of some place selling some food items. Though he didn't say it verbally, his eyes were gleaming in want. Who was Taiga to ignore the silent plea?</p><p>He took out his pouch and approached the stall. Indeed, the array of food looked delicious. "Hi, can I grab five of those?" He asked, gesturing to the container housing some glistening chunks of meat that he wanted to sink his teeth into. Dai looked at him curiously yet hopefully as he completed the purchase. "Here." Taiga grinned, handing over two of the five. It was a standard portion for normal people, so it hardly counted as a snack for Taiga.</p><p>Dai nodded in quiet gratitude. There was a gleam in his eyes the moment he put a piece in his mouth and he immediately went for a second. It was honestly endearing to see someone gobbling up their food so eagerly like that.</p><p>"Ah, we're here." The redhead hated to interrupt, but the weapon shop he frequented was drawing near. The two entered the establishment and was immediately greeted with a neat stack of display on the wall that never ceased to impress Taiga. Dai, too, looked entranced. "Kagetora, sir!" He put his hand up when he saw the owner behind the register.</p><p>"Hey, Taiga." The brunette put down his newspaper. "You got a buddy with you."</p><p>"Yeah, this is Dai. We're looking for a hunting spear."</p><p>"Hunting with Taiga, hm? Good luck and don't lose a limb. This guy's crazy reckless. I've lost count of how many times my daughter had to patch him up." He shook his head, not forgetting to stub his cigarette on the ashtray.</p><p>"C'mon, it's not that bad." Taiga scowled. "This is Riko's dad, by the way. Kagetora Aida."</p><p>"Ah." Dai simply nodded in acknowledgement. At the mention of the healer, he once again touched his healing stomach.</p><p>"You're not eating properly, boy. You're only skin and bones. Are you sure you're ready to swing a weapon?"</p><p>"I'm fine." He replied curtly, which led Kagetora to glance at Taiga.</p><p>"I'll take care of him." The redhead slapped his chest with his palm as if to reassure the man.</p><p>"You can barely take care of yourself, you little runt! Under your charge, he'll get mauled by a bear!" The blacksmith obviously had no qualm about lecturing a duke's son as shown by his aggressiveness. </p><p>"I can fight! And he's a grown man too. It'll be fine." Taiga reassured in a panic.</p><p>"Shesh. Don't say I didn't warn you. Have a look around, boy." He motioned at the display directly to the right of them. It sheltered many varieties of spears. Short, long, different metal tips and grips of varying colour. Most importantly, all of them looked excellently made.</p><p>Dai closely inspected item after item with a pair of all-seeing eyes. Taiga didn't have to be a seer to understand that Dai was someone who knew what he wanted in a weapon.</p><p>"This one." Said the dark-skinned male after he held it for a few moments. "The weight, the length..." He muttered, closing one eye and looking at the tip from the bottom of the weapon to see its perfectly straight shape. "It's perfect."</p><p>"You've got an eye for sharps, I'll give you that." Kagetora harrumphed. "That's my latest creation. The tip is created using a combination of steel, titanium and chromium. It'll pierce straight through a boulder no problem."</p><p>Dai hummed in acknowledgement before he spun the spear carefully under his arm, around his back and over his head in an impressive, controlled manner. "Yeah, it handles great."</p><p>Taiga had to admit that it was impressive. Dai must truly be experienced with the weapon. He handed Kagetora some sum of gold before they thanked the blacksmith and walked out of the shop with a very radiant Dai who seemed unable to control his glee even through his attempted poker face.</p><p>"We're all set!" Taiga grinned, slapping Dai's back perhaps a bit too powerfully because the unprepared lad stumbled forward and shot his partner a dirty look. "Sorry."</p><p>"Brute." He murmured bitterly, rubbing his sore back.</p><p>"It's okay. I'll feed you so much, you're gonna get so fat overnight." The redhead stuck his tongue out as he showed off his pouch full of spices. "We're going to the hill not too far from here. Reuben should have Ten ready near the gate and I've got you a horse as well."</p><p>"Me?" The blunette widened his eyes.</p><p>"You can ride, right?"</p><p>"Well, yeah, but..." He furrowed his brows.</p><p>"Then it's no drama. Let's hurry or the sun will fall when we get there!" With a strong reassuring nod, Taiga grabbed Dai's wrist and all but dragged him towards the entrance to the kingdom where, sure enough, their ride awaited. The stable boy stood there and his face brightened upon seeing his employer.</p><p>"Hi, Young Master Taiga! Here are Ten and Five, brushed, fed and prepared for your hunting trip!"</p><p>Dai glanced at the redhead. "You named them?"</p><p>"Yeah. Why?"</p><p>"You should be jailed for butchering these guys with those dumb names."</p><p>"Hold your tongue, slave!" The boy, no more than 15 years old gasped at the insolence but Taiga quickly stopped him.</p><p>"Please, it's okay. I know I've got a terrible naming sense, what with Tetsuya constantly reminding me." He scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, she's yours. She hasn't had a master ever since she was born, you see." He smiled, patting Five's cheek gently and making her snort.</p><p>It was a beautiful black horse with thick, brushed mane raven in colour. Her saddle was blood red and she looked straight at Dai. The two remained quiet for a few seconds before the blunette slowly approached the horse. His arms were on his sides until the two were close enough. Then carefully, he lifted his right hand. Five flinched momentarily and looked away. Seeing the sign of discomfort, Dai took it slow. He once again moved in front of her, offering her a smile while whispering something that Taiga couldn't quite hear.</p><p>Then Five perked up. This time, she allowed Dai to stroke her neck.</p><p>Reuben looked stunned at how well the blunette handled the unruly horse. He was smiling as he nudged her muzzle with his forehead.</p><p>"Good girl. I'll take good care of you, alright?" Dai patted her before moving around and grabbing her rein gently. His movement was calm, composed. It fascinated Taiga who stood there unmoving momentarily.</p><p>He did eventually came about and scrambled to mount Ten. The two men, riding on their separate horse made their way outside.</p><p>"Where did you learn how to tame a horse like that? I mean, I know you said from your noble friend, but that's still impressive. Would've taken years."</p><p>"I guess." Dai said, his eyes were now focusing upon another sight in the distance. "Seirin has guests?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah. Tetsuya told me the other day..." Taiga said after he noticed what his company was looking at. "That some guys from Touou are coming here to look for someone."</p><p>Dai visibly tensed at the statement. His expression became tense—exceedingly so and the grip on his reins tightened.</p><p>"Looking for some fugitive or something? Not sure why the crown prince of all people would be here, though."</p><p>"Let's go." He murmured before going to a running pace that took Taiga by surprise. He had no choice but to follow suit, though. The two made their way towards the hill overlooking Seirin with haste while taking a detour so they wouldn't get too close to the carriage and a few troops with black armours escorting it.</p><p>Taiga would ask what exactly plagued Dai's mind but he couldn't exactly speak through the gust of wind whipping them by. It was until they reached the foot of the mountainous path that the blunette slowed down enough for him to gather his thoughts.</p><p>"What's going on, Dai? Why the rush?" He questioned despite having a gut feeling what the reason was.</p><p>"None of your business." He muttered.</p><p>"No," Taiga shook his head and walked Ten closer to Five. "It damn well is <em>my</em> business. You're my friend, so I need to know if you're in danger. Did you step on their toes, Dai?"</p><p>Dai laughed. There was something so off-putting about it. It wasn't one out of humour, self-pity or nerve, but one that made Taiga shudder. It was akin of a crack in a vase; one which would inevitably shatter with one more touch. That alone made Taiga unsure as to what to say. His lips moved tentatively, but nothing came out. He didn't know how to tread around this topic. He had a bad feeling about whatever it was Dai was about to say.</p><p>"You know that most slaves are convicts, right?"</p><p>"Yeah." Taiga nodded slowly.</p><p>"I committed regicide."</p><p>Taiga's heart stopped momentarily. In a split second, he believed it. Dai's eyes were sharp and straightforward; one of an honest man. However, after a second of logical assessment, he started to doubt it. Man, was he glad for Tetsuya's recurring advice urging him to think before saying anything. "No." He objected. "If you did, then you would be dead by now. No one kills the king and lives."</p><p>He spread his arms wide and shrugged. "Maybe I'm just one sneaky guy." He grinned. "Think about it. Why else would the crown prince visit, of all people, if who they're looking for is just a thief who stole a piece of bread?"</p><p>"W-well..." Taiga stammered. "You're not telling me the entire story. I don't think you seriously assassinated him. Touou is a militaristic kingdom. There's no way you could've survived."</p><p>"And what if I had inside help?" Dai quirked an eyebrow.</p><p>"Stop it!" Taiga yelled out. "You're lying. It doesn't make any sense." He clicked his tongue and looked away as Ten sped up on command. Sure, Touou lost their King a few months ago but what were the chances of his killer being Dai? Besides, if the King was truly assassinated, then rumours would've spread like wildfire. Instead, everything seemed so suppressed. To this day, there was no clear definition as to what killed him. The Queen who ascended the throne, too, kept quiet.</p><p>Well, it didn't help that Touou wasn't a sociable kingdom to begin with, so anyone would be hard-pressed to get any information from them. They were known for their individualistic dictatorship who prided themselves on their unparalleled military prowess seconded only by Rakuzan.</p><p>"If you killed the King, your face would be all over as a wanted person. Besides, an assassin wouldn't get close to a noble for years, befriending them and learning their ways of life and potentially blowing their cover..."</p><p>"What?" Dai frowned. "Who said anything about befriending a noble?"</p><p>"You said it literally two days ago. Something on the line of how you used to be friends with us."</p><p>"Did I?"</p><p>"You did!" He snapped his head towards Dai who looked genuinely confused. "Anyway, I'm not listening to your stupid excuses. Let's go hunting! Convict or not, you're stuck with me, get it?" Taiga harrumphed, making his expression instantly change from tense to his usual bright self. He had never been one to overthink something, after all. He liked Dai's companionship, and baseless confessions that made little sense wouldn't change his opinion on the man.</p><p>Dai, seemingly taken aback for a split second, rolled his eyes. However, there was something a little affectionate in the way the corner of his lips quirked into a small smile. "You're dumb."</p><p>"Excuse me!?" Taiga hissed, his cheeks flaming red at the derogatory term that Tetsuya and Tatsuya often described him as.</p><p>"Hmm? You're gonna tell me to keep my mouth shut like the good little slave I am?"</p><p>"Of course not!" That only riled him up even more.</p><p>"Then you're dumb. Shut me up if you can." With that, he used his reins to make his horse go faster.</p><p>Not wanting to lose, Taiga soon caught up with Dai. Somehow, it turned into a whole another competition of obstacle horse racing in the forest where poor Ten and Five had to jump over logs, navigate through the trees and duck under vines all because their masters had a temper problem.</p><p>In the end, they settled down, however. With their horses secured in a clearing with lush grass blades and clear running water, Dai and Taiga unpacked their hunting gear. The latter looked positively brimming with life since it had been a while since he last had someone to go hunting with him. Everyone was always so busy and Tatsuya didn't visit often. </p><p>While whistling a tune, he put a quiver around his back and grabbed the bow that Tetsuya gave him for his birthday. Next to him, Dai was practising his spear handling - twirling and spinning it like a professional. </p><p>"You go hunting often?" </p><p>The sudden distraction made Dai fumble. As a result, he dropped his spear on the ground and scowled as he picked it up. "I guess. Used to go with my dad." He muttered, brows crinkled and tone distressed.</p><p>"...Did something happen to him?" Taiga tilted his head sideways slightly out of curiosity.</p><p>"He died."</p><p>"Oh." He looked down at his feet. It was times like this that he never knew what to say. Should he console them or try to lighten the mood? Quietly, he asked Tetsuya even though he wouldn't get an answer.</p><p>"It's in the past." Dai said, dusting off his weapon. "Let's go. What are we hunting?"</p><p>Glad for the change of topic, Taiga's expression brightened. "Whatever we can find, I guess. I usually go with deer, but now that we're both here, why don't we go with something a bit more challenging?"</p><p>"Like what?" The blunette quirked his eyebrows just in time for them to hear a roaring sound in the distance. It echoed as they saw a tree felled and birds scattering into the air.</p><p>Taiga's smirk grew. "What about that?"</p><p>"Bear for dinner?" Dai smirked. It was obvious that he accepted the challenge.</p><p>"Bear for dinner." Not wanting to be outdone, Taiga echoed the question with an answer. Confidence was painted all over him as he tightened his grip on his bow and faced the direction of the noise. Not only that, he also secured his greataxe on his back just in case he needed to get into close quarter with the carnivore.</p><p>"Stay here, you two." Said the redhead to the horses. Their binds were loose, which meant escaping wouldn't be an issue for them. It was a failsafe in case a wild beast pounced. Some of their vital parts were armoured which made Taiga feel a bit safer leaving them be. "Alright, off we go!"</p><p>The two ducked under some dried branches of a half-fallen tree to get started. With a compass in hand, they quietly made their way towards the location of impact while keeping an eye on their surroundings. The trees were plentiful and they obscured their field of vision.</p><p>"I'll take the high ground." Dai whispered as he knocked on a tree next to him to check for its sturdiness before he swiftly climbed up it.</p><p>"Hey, wait—" He was too late. With a huff, Taiga looked behind him to see his weapons still dangling. He could climb, but not with all those weights. Left with no choice, he decided to keep moving while constantly keeping an eye on Dai who had gone further away from him. The guy was infuriatingly light on his feet. Not only in term of speed but also his stealth. As a result, it didn't take long for Taiga to completely lose sight of Dai.</p><p>Disgruntled, he decided to keep going. The forest wasn't exactly well-travelled, which meant he had to constantly duck down and find a detour as to not get scraped by some brambles. It took him a while, but he eventually reached his destination.</p><p>It was a small clearing near a fallen young tree. Right next to it was the remains of a deer which was already being surrounded by flies. The smell hadn't started to develop yet, considering how freshly killed it was. Taiga looked around to see claw marks and footprints. Then, he followed it.</p><p>It was times like this that he became excited. Adrenalin rushed within him, boiling his blood as he tried to come up with plans of attack. Usually, he stayed on the safer side by staying away from carnivores, but he had been wanting to up the ante for a little while now. Today was as good of a time as any.</p><p>And then he heard a low rumble that made him jolt. Years of hunting had polished his fight or flight response, so he knew it was no normal reaction. As quickly and quietly as he could, he made his way towards the closest area with the least amount of obstacles. Taiga looked around him to find any anomaly and all he could hear were heavy footsteps and the crunching of dried leaves.</p><p>Suddenly, his own heartbeat became too loud. He dropped his machete and substituted it with his bow, already loaded with an arrow. Taiga pulled the string back and aimed in front of him just in case the beast decided to ambush him.</p><p>"There!" Taiga let the arrow fly. The steel tip sunk into flesh and it was followed with a thud. He would grin and cheer if he killed the right target, but he didn't. Instead of a bear, it was a stag. Taiga cursed a silent apology at the innocent creature that he didn't mean to kill, but the damage had been done. He took a step towards it so he could grab his arrow back, but that was when the hunter became the hunted.</p><p>A roar broke out just like a dam bursting open. The previously silent forest became a danger zone for Taiga who rolled just in time to avoid a potential mortal wound. The claw of the black bear slammed into the ground, creating a hole in the soil as it bared its fangs at its next late lunch.</p><p>Taiga scrambled to his feet and leapt forward to once again move out of the way from the bear's strike. Using the momentary break, he drew his greataxe just in time to shield himself against another attack. Taiga used the momentum to slash forward, cutting through some flesh that made the animal reel back, but not enough for it to flee.</p><p>What he didn't account for was for his weapon to get lodged in a tree trunk after the wide swing. Failing to retrieve it, Taiga was forced to abandon it just so he wouldn't end up as a bear feed.</p><p>His machete was on one end, his axe was stuck and his bow was on another end. He ran for the prior which was more suited for close combat. However, Taiga might be large but he certainly wasn't fast. The bear easily caught up to him even before he managed to cover half the distance.</p><p>Then suddenly, something whipped past his face and he felt a sting on his cheek.</p><p>He heard a loud crash behind him, making him come to a stop. He touched the point of impact to see that blood was trickling down, but that didn't stop him from glancing towards the bear. A long spear was buried in its right eye up to its brain, practically killing it in one fell swoop.</p><p>"Watch your surroundings better, dummy." Atop one of the large branches was Dai, crouching with a triumphant smirk on his face. "So one-nil for me?"</p><p>"Y-you just got lucky this time!" Taiga clenched his fist and fumed as Dai laughed at him. The blunette jumped down and landed in a crouching position. Still scowling, Taiga observed the man's every step up to the point where he yanked out the weapon out of the bear's head. Blood splattered on the ground following the action. "How did you learn how to fight like that?"</p><p>"Self-taught, I guess." He mulled as he took a cloth from his pocket and began cleaning the dirtied spear. His attention was then caught by something else. "Looks like we're having a bear <em>and</em> a deer. You think we can finish 'em?"</p><p>"We'll try! If not, we'll go back to the village and give them to the people in the slums."</p><p>Dai eyed him once more with a strange expression, but he promptly turned away while rubbing the back of his neck. "What kind of a noble are you... seriously."</p><p>Taiga shrugged. "I don't see the point of pretending the poor doesn't exist."</p><p>"You have no idea that they would kill you if it means they get a better life. You shouldn't risk what you have because if you let your guard down, you'll lose it." Said Dai with a cryptic tone. "And the same with me."</p><p>Taiga lifted his head to see his companion was now leering at him.</p><p>Using his excess few centimetres he had over Taiga, he looked down on the redhead with his spear pointed at the man's chest. "Always watch your back, <em>master</em>. You can never be too careful." He jabbed it forward just enough for it to lightly make contact with Taiga's leather armour, then he withdrew it, spun it and put it back by his side. "Alright, I'm starving!" He stretched his back. Just like that, the tense air dissipated.</p><p>Still, Taiga remained frozen for a few more seconds. The more days passed, the more his gut feeling told him that something seriously was gonna go wrong if he kept treading the rope between him and his new companion.</p><p>But again, he had never been the sharpest tool in the shed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another chap up! Hope you liked it. Next chapter, the plot will finally thiccen</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the end, half of the food remained uneaten. Despite Taiga's best efforts, they came back to Seirin with half a bear and half a deer left. Dai was next to him patting his belly which was undoubtedly so full of food considering how sluggish his movements now became. Even Five looked visibly encumbered.</p><p>The sun had already fully set on the horizon by the time they reached their home. The street, usually bustling with people had somewhat cleared up. Vendors had emptied out their stalls and closed signs were flipped.</p><p>"You go on ahead. I'll be giving these out." Taiga nodded at his companion who looked like he was about to fall asleep. On the redhead's back was a bag full of leftover warm meat meant for the commoners. Their timing couldn't be better either, considering dinner was nigh.</p><p>With a nod, Dai stroke Five and she immediately galloped towards the Kagami mansion.</p><p>"Alright!" Getting off his horse, he grinned widely. The man walked towards the slum with Ten by his side. Children with ragged clothes ran past them and housewives glanced outside warily. The only nobles who ever came around this area were tax collectors demanding ridiculous amount of gold, so the scepticism was warranted.</p><p>"It's Taiga!" A girl cheerfully approached him with a young boy in tow.</p><p>"Hello, Nao And Milo. How are you two?" Crouching, Taiga ruffled their hairs with glee, making them giggle. "I have something for you. Can I see your ma and pa?"</p><p>"Yeah!" Enthusiastically, they all but dragged Taiga into their rickety wooden house occupied by an old couple who looked floored when they saw who walked in.</p><p>"L-Lord Taiga!" They stammered. "O-oh, please!" The man of the house scrambled to his feet, followed closely by his wife.</p><p>"No need to panic. I'm just here to drop something off." With laughter, he rummaged through his bag and grabbed a pouch containing a mix of bear and deer meat that smelled absolutely divine. The family's eyes widened at the little bag of treasure that might as well contain diamond at this point.</p><p>"T-truly?" The mother's hands were trembling violently. "This... this is for us?"</p><p>"Yeah!" Clearly not taking no as an answer, the redhead put it in Nao's possession. "Well, I won't bother you much longer. I gotta give the rest of this stuff out." Not even giving anyone the chance to call him back, Taiga dashed out of the house. It wouldn't be good to miss dinnertime!</p><p>It was always so pleasant to speak with the housewives around the area when they weren't too busy flailing around upon seeing a noble on the doorstep. Some of the elderly even offered him sweet treats in return, a gesture that he wasn't expecting but appreciated. While sometimes people eyed him with apprehension, most were quick to mellow up when they saw the meat he offered.</p><p>In the end, it took a full hour to completely empty his bag. He left with a huge grin on his face, knowing that he had made a difference, insignificant as it might be. Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces was totally worth the effort, he decided.</p><p>Patting Ten who snorted peacefully, they made their way back to the mansion. The moon was high up along with the stars. Uninterrupted by smokes or trees, and accompanied by the silence of the usually bustling marketplace, Taiga smiled. It never ceased to be an eye-opener to see how many unfortunate people there were. He was lucky, being born into a noble class. It was one of the many things he always took for granted—having a roof over his head, surrounded by people who loved him and never had to worry about an empty belly.</p><p>While counting his blessings, he entered his mansion only to be greeted by the servants. After their usual fussing, Taiga ascended up the stairs to enter his bedroom. It was empty, at a first glance. His bedsheet was still nicely made and everything was in place with no speck of dust that could be seen. When he turned to the left, though, he saw Dai on the balcony. With his elbows rested on the metal railing and back hunched, he looked up at the sky, no doubt admiring the way the stars seemed to wink at him.</p><p>Taiga smiled fondly as he approached the man and quietly settled next to him.</p><p>"Pretty, huh?" He started, leaning his back against the fence and stretched his neck so he could look up.</p><p>Dai didn't say anything. His expression remained unchanged even though his frown was suspiciously absent from his brows. He looked serene, Taiga daresay. With his short, unevenly cut dark hair blowing in the wind, his deep blue eyes seemed to sparkle.</p><p>"I bet you can't see anything back in Touou, what with them being an industrial kingdom and all." He continued, only to see his companion lowering his head as if agreeing. "So," He angled his body towards Dai. "Do you know the crown prince?"</p><p>It was replied with a scoff. "Shoichi Imayoshi." He sighed. "A snake."</p><p>Taiga narrowed his eyes. "You got something personal against him?"</p><p>Dai shrugged. "No. Why the fuck would I?"</p><p>"...Right..." He drawled on suspiciously. Instead of another jab, he saw Dai letting out an audible exhale as he pushed himself off the fence. It was obvious that Taiga had crossed the admittedly close line that he had yet to stretch. So, he merely followed the guy back into his chamber and shut the balcony door.</p><p>Dai settled on the couch, fingers tapping restlessly against the armrest. However, that posture caught Taiga's eyes.</p><p>"What's that?" He asked, walking forward and pointing at the red mark on his left arm that was exposed due to the pull of the long sleeved shirt.</p><p>"Spilled hot water over myself. Accident." He simply brushed it off before attempting to cover it up. While it wasn't out of the realm of possibility for Dai to do that, something about it rubbed Taiga the wrong way.</p><p>"And that?" He pointed at the blunette's left ankle.</p><p>"Same thing." He then lifted his legs up and folded them.</p><p>"Dai." Clearly not believe a single word being uttered, Taiga sternly put his hands on his hips. "Is someone doing this to you?"</p><p>"No." He quickly snapped. "I was making tea and—"</p><p>"Stop." He took a step forward and yanked the blunette's wrist. "Who did it?"</p><p>They exchanged fierce glare, but it was apparent that Taiga wasn't going to back down this time. With a click of a tongue, Dai looked away. "Your cult. Those bitches, batting their eyelashes and cooing. They don't like me tagging along with you all the time."</p><p>"Names."</p><p>"I don't fucking know! They're <em>your</em> maids." He pulled his arm back but to no avail. Taiga's grip tightened as he inspected the inflamed red spot. "Let go."</p><p>The redhead stared at Dai one last time before sighing and finally did as he was told. However, just before he was about to exit the bedroom, Dai spoke up.</p><p>"Forget it. It's just gonna get worse if you talk to them. If you give a shit about me, you'll shut up. Besides," He grunted. "I'm not <em>that</em> weak. I can handle it." Said Dai as he stood up. "I'm gonna take a breather." With another exhale, Dai made a beeline towards the door and left, the door slammed in his wake.</p><p>"He's prideful."</p><p>"Aargh!" Taiga jumped when he saw Tetsuya sitting on the edge of his bed, slurping away on his favourite vanilla flavoured icy drink. "Warn me next time. I'm gonna seriously have a heart attack!"</p><p>Tetsuya shrugged nonchalantly. "What do you think of him, brother?"</p><p>"He's okay, I guess." The redhead sighed, settling next to his adoptive sibling. "I mean, he's fun to talk to when he's not giving me the cold shoulder, y'know. I can tell there's something genuine deep down, but he just doesn't wanna let it out. But again, it's only been like, a week, since we met, so I get the distrust."</p><p>The baby-blue-haired male nodded. "That is wonderful to hear. I knew you two will get along." He eyed the door. "But there's something else..."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Tetsuya narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, then he took another slurp. "He is not like the other slaves I have encountered. No, not even a servant or a butler."</p><p>"I don't like that look." Said the taller male upon seeing his brother's speculative, calculating expression that only meant a million thoughts swirled inside that noggin of his. And once Tetsuya started thinking, he was most likely going to be right. That deduction skill was what won him the job as the King's most trusted adviser, after all.</p><p>"That manner of pride..." He then snapped his mouth shut and shook his head. His tense shoulders relaxed within a heartbeat. "Ah... I am overthinking yet again. Pray forgive me, my job trained me to always second-guess all facts even if they happen to be the correct ones. I shouldn't worry you or plant any seed of doubt when your relationship is still budding."</p><p>"You need sleep." Said Taiga firmly, squeezing Tetsuya's shoulder.</p><p>"Indeed." He retorted. "The sudden visit of Prince Shoichi has been far too abrupt. We barely had time to prepare for a diplomatic meeting."</p><p>"Diplomatic meeting? I thought he's only here to grab that fugitive of his?"</p><p>"Well, he decided that it would be a better use of his time than simply waiting for his soldiers to search and apprehend the man. It was a welcome gesture, considering Touou isn't known for their hospitality, but the last-second decision meant that the brunt of the work falls onto me."</p><p>"Then you need sleep now, more than ever." Sure, his lips said one thing, but his head insisted on another. A mere few seconds later, he continued. "Do you know who this fugitive is?"</p><p>"He was quite tight-lipped about it, so I cannot say for sure. While he brushed it off as something trivial, I doubt that it is truly the case. Why else would he personally come here otherwise?" He turned towards his brother. "It's quite rare to see you interested in such topic. Are you well, brother?"</p><p>"W-what do you mean by that!? Yeah, I'm fine. Am I not allowed to ask questions? Geez..."</p><p>"I jest." The shorter male chuckled, much to Taiga's chagrin. </p><p>Despite the teasing, he quickly brushed it off. Over time, he grew accustomed to everyone doing just that. "Do you think... I should do something about that whole thing?" He scratched his head. "I mean, how Dai got hurt and all."</p><p>"You would know what's best." Replied Tetsuya cryptically. "Dai is a proud man. It will put a wedge in your relationship if you coddle him, but at the same time I understand the contempt you hold for this manner of injustice."</p><p>Taiga nodded, brows furrowed.</p><p>"It's up to you." He added. "And I will leave you to it. I shall retreat to my chamber now."</p><p>"Yeah, do that. Good night, Tetsuya." Said Taiga with a yawn. He was feeling the aftereffect of the hunting too. His body was starting to shut down for the night, so he should listen to it.</p><p>That didn't mean his curiosity rested with him, however. He ended up tossing and turning in his bed while he thought about what Dai said to him earlier before their hunt began. Surely, he was joking. There was no way that someone who committed regicide could live and his punishment only being sent into slavery. There were too many holes in the logic.</p><p>After a few minutes or even an hour elapsed, Taiga heard the bedroom door opening.</p><p>"Dai?" He murmured, squinting at the light to see a figure in the doorway. However, before he could get a good look, it was shut again. Whoever it was didn't enter. With his brows furrowed, Taiga decided to brush it off and put his head back on the pillow. If it was Dai, he'd come back.</p><p>.</p><p>The morning came as usual, but this time Taiga was alone in his bed. Rubbing his eyes, he rolled to his back for his arm to meet the cold mattress. It was strange, considering it was the side where Dai usually lied on. Groggily, he opened an eye, then cringed when sunlight burst through.</p><p>Sure enough, it was empty. Instead, his couch was the one being occupied by the blunette. He sat there, hunched forward, still asleep. His signature frown was prominent.</p><p>Taiga stretched as he stood up and inspected Dai's face. His sunken cheeks were no more, much to his joy. Over the course of the week, the man had put on some weight, and it was now that Taiga realised that his companion was better looking than he gave him credit for. Now that Dai didn't look like death and malnutrition anymore, Taiga noted the bluehead's unlined face, sculpted with a strong jawline and... well, his bronze skin looked so smooth.</p><p>All the staring must've rung some bells because a few seconds later, Dai's eyes fluttered open. He jolted upon seeing Taiga's face so close to him.</p><p>"Yes?" He grunted.</p><p>"Just wondering why you're over there. Your back must be sore."</p><p>"I'm fine." Said Dai with a stretch. The morning breath was enough for the redhead to take a step back. "Someone was looking for you yesterday."</p><p>"Oh?" Taiga raised his eyebrows. "Who—" He said, but stopped halfway due to the stomping outside his bedroom. The footsteps drew closer and closer still until the door was slammed open to reveal a scantily dressed woman far too familiar for his eyes.</p><p>"Taiga!" With her blonde hair tied into a ponytail, she leapt onto the poor redhead who fell back onto his bed.</p><p>"A-Alex, what the hell!? When did you get here?" For all the thrashing done by poor Taiga, it ultimately went unheeded. Instead, Alex's grip on him became tighter to the point of crushing. "S-stop... let me go! I can't breathe!"</p><p>"Mmmwah!" The blond smacked her lips onto her pupil's cheek wetly, then proceeded to blow raspberries akin to a mother would her young. "How's my little Tiger doing?"</p><p>"Get off... get off me first..." Although disgruntled, she did as she was told and reluctantly pull away from Taiga who immediately sucked in a breath. "I didn't know you were coming. Why didn't you send me a letter first?"</p><p>"A letter? That would ruin the surprise!" She whined dramatically. "I meant to come here for your birthday, but I ended up taking a detour and arrived late." With her hands on her hips, she turned towards Dai who boldly eyed her from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. "And who might this be? Did you finally find a boyfriend, dearest pupil?"</p><p>"B-boyfriend! No! He's just... a friend." He murmured. "Dai, this is my mentor, Alexandra Garcia."</p><p>"Charmed." She did a little curtsy that was probably ironic more than anything.</p><p>"Mentor... Oh." His eyes lit up slightly. "She's the one who taught you the fly agaric recipe."</p><p>"I knew it was gonna be useful!" She grinned. "See, don't tell me I never did anything for you. How did you enjoy it, Dai? Feels pretty good right, to let go of your control?"</p><p>"Trust me, I haven't had control for a while." The blunette snorted. That statement made Alex cock one of her eyebrows, but Taiga quickly interrupted as to not make the situation awkward. Besides, he didn't feel like explaining why he had a slave. Knowing Alex, she'd jump to the furthest possible conclusion and wouldn't let him finish his story.</p><p>"We have lots to catch up on. Why don't we have breakfast?" </p><p>"Mm, okay." She drawled on before giving Dai a wink. "You and I will have lots to talk about too, young man."</p><p>"Alex! He's not my boyfriend!" The redhead swiftly pushed her out of his bedroom and immediately closed the door, cheeks hot. What slander! The moment they were at a safe distance away, he cleared his throat and let go of her.</p><p>"So, who's he, then?"</p><p>"I told you, a friend." He replied shortly while they sauntered down the stairs towards the dining room.</p><p>"From which family?" She quirked an eyebrow as she followed her pupil.</p><p>That question took him by surprise, so he turned around to frown at her. "What do you mean?" </p><p>"Which noble family does he belong to?" She repeated.</p><p>"Uh... none?"</p><p>"None?" Alex seemed baffled by the answer, evident by the way her icy blue eyes widened. "He's a commoner?"</p><p>"Well, yeah. Is it really that weird that I make friends with a commoner? I'm hurt you think that I'd only—"</p><p>"That's not it, Taiga." She said, wrapping her fingers around his wrist to stop him from walking down further. "What I meant is that he carries himself with the aura befitting of a noble."</p><p>"So you noticed it too, Alexandra." The two jumped at the sudden presence that made itself known. Unfazed, Tetsuya simply nodded in greeting at the pair. "Dai is no normal slave—"</p><p>"Hold on, what. Slave?"</p><p>"Ah, was she not meant to know?" Tetsuya simply blinked while his brother sighed in the background. And so, the redhead had to spend the next ten minutes explaining to Alex how and why Dai got there, all under her judgemental eyes. To be honest, Taiga knew that she didn't think any less of him and that she was more bemused than anything. Still, he thought it prudent to explain before misunderstandings could arise.</p><p>"I think I get it now." She threw her head back and laughed. At the moment, they were sitting in a gazebo located in the garden. There were teas and sweets in the middle of the table that the servants had kindly prepared. "So good ol' Elder Kagami purchased him in hope that he'd be your gay experiment, but after you spent time with him, you really like him and want to be his friend?"</p><p>"Ugh, roughly put, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But he's a moody one. Sometimes he's friendly and other times, he looks like he wants to stab me."</p><p>Alex nodded while Tetsuya sipped his cup of tea. "And getting back about his attitude, Tetsuya." She started. "You saw how he carried himself with this... aura."</p><p>"Yes." He nodded. "I spend time with nobles and royalties most of my breathing moment, so it is safe to say that I understand how difficult it is to conceal how you grew up. Take Prince Teppei, for instance. He might maintain this calm, humble visage, but no one ever mistakes him for anyone other than a noble." He then turned towards Taiga. "And brother, you mentioned that Dai is well-versed in hunting and horseriding. Is that not proof that he is not what he seems?"</p><p>Taiga's frown said what everyone needed to know about what was going on in his head. Confused, he shook his head. "Well... he told me that he was friends with some nobles, so isn't it possible that he got their habits as well? I think you guys are overthinking this."</p><p>"Maybe." Alex shrugged, leaning back on her chair. "But just because you've observed their mannerism doesn't mean that you can adapt it. It's not as easy as it sounds like."</p><p>"Whatever! It's not like where he came from matters to me." Said Taiga with a scowl. <em>Yeah, why are they making it such a big deal? Noble or not, he's still Dai.</em></p><p>"As nobles ourselves, it is imperative to understand where your allies hailed from, especially this scenario. Dai is a slave, which means he must have committed something quite grave to be punished so severely. Who to say that he had not killed someone? It's best to always tread with care."</p><p>Taiga rolled his eyes. "You've said that too many times, Tetsuya. My hunch hasn't wronged me so far, so don't you think you should trust me a bit more? Besides, if it's a fight he wants, I can easily take him on." To emphasise his point, he punched his palm using his fist.</p><p>"We doubt not your brawn. We understand you're—"</p><p>"Stop it. I'm not a kid anymore." He cut his brother off. Too many people doubted his instinct. Sure, he might not be a scholar, but would it hurt to let him make his own decisions. If he was mistaken, then he'd just have to deal with the repercussion himself.</p><p>Alex pursed her lips, clearly wanting to say something but didn't want to ruin the reunion. So, she merely smiled and slapped Tetsuya's back. She did underestimate her strength, though, so the poor thing lurched forward and knocked the table slightly. "Now, now. Let's not argue while I'm here, yeah? It'll ruin the whole reason why I visited, which is to celebrate my dearest pupil's birthday. And to enhance the experience—"</p><p>"I am leaving." Tetsuya stood up before the blond could utter any more word.</p><p>"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!" She took out a few vials of fly agaric concoction that Tetsuya had always frowned upon. It severely hindered one's ability to reason which could prove catastrophic if the wrong person were to take advantage of it. "Well, at least I have you, Taiga. Let's have some fun. What say you?"</p><p>.</p><p>Fun was a bit of a... subjective matter when it came to Alex. Taiga knew this, yet he humoured her anyway.</p><p>Ever since he met her when he was a mere kid of six years old, he knew her as an enigma, as did Tatsuya. She was affiliated to no kingdom in particular, and her origin was questionable at best. To this day, Taiga didn't know where she hailed from, but she made it a habit to visit every now and then.</p><p>Alex was the one who taught him how to fight, hunt, fish and everything else non-noble he could do now. Despite the contempt he showed of her habit of kissing those near her, Taiga truly treasured Alex. Spending time with her was never a chore at all. She was like the mother he never had.</p><p>But it was that willingness to say yes to her that always got him in trouble. Right now, he had to deal with a migraine thanks to whatever it was that she served earlier. It was no normal fly agaric recipe. She sprinkled something else in there that made his trip to the clouds that much more entertaining. However, the fall, too, was equally rapid.</p><p>He was there lying on his bed, presumably for the rest of the evening. Alex was next to him, laughing her ass off while making comments about how susceptible he was.</p><p>"Oh, come <em>on</em>!" She giggled uncontrollably. "It was just an extra whiff of this herb I got on my way here. Doesn't it send you straight to heaven?"</p><p>"Uurgh! Stop giving me weird crap!" Taiga groaned as he tried to calm his throbbing head.</p><p>"At least you didn't die." Her shoulders were quaking at this point. All the attempt at keeping a semblance of neutrality was disrupted when the door to the chamber was pushed open to reveal none other than Dai who only frowned at the sight. "Ah, Dai!" She waved. "I was just leaving. Why don't we have a chat?"</p><p>If there was distrust in his eyes, Alex refused to have any of it. She instead put her arm around the blunette's neck and dragged him outside so they could leave Taiga to his misery.</p><p>.</p><p>Despite all of Alex's antics, Tetsuya understood that she was an extremely intelligent woman. She concealed her true face behind this unruliness just to get others to let their guard down around her. He could see it in her eyes—how those brilliant blue orbs would twinkle when she noticed something out of the ordinary, and how the corner of her lips would quirk ever so slightly when she found what she was looking for.</p><p>Hence why when she announced that there was something else about Dai than met the eye, it only reaffirmed his belief that this slave his father purchased was no ordinary man from a humble beginning. In fact, he might be noble. He wasn't sure how high-ranking Dai was, but Tetsuya was intent to find out.</p><p>Alex took him for a walk around the garden, from what Tetsuya could see from his private library next to his chamber. As he read the text on his lap, he glanced to the pair conversing. Dai looked positively smitten, judging from the way he kept scratching his head and trying to take a peek at Alex's, admittedly, large breasts only scantily clad in a tight shirt that highlighted her impressive cleavage. It was only one of the many tricks she used to get her way.</p><p>Eventually, the two parted. It didn't take long for the blond to barge unannounced into Tetsuya's private haven that was never so private anymore, what with his intrusive brother and equally disruptive mentor. However, Tetsuya didn't really mind it.</p><p>"You have returned." The male closed his book and glanced at the guest who was frowning, seemingly deep in thought. "Anything, Alexandra?"</p><p>"If he's a noble, he reminds me of Taiga a whole lot. Rough, carefree and... well, kinda dumb."</p><p>Tetsuya chuckled.</p><p>"But there's no mistaking it!" She punched her palm decisively. "He's anything but a commoner. I can tell. I mean, his hair? Sure, it's soft as hell, but..."</p><p>"The colour." Said the male. "It is known that offsprings of nobles generally have quite the... <em>strange-</em>coloured hair. That combined with his pride, confidence and skills befitting of those in the higher hierarchy can only mean that our speculation is correct."</p><p>"Well, I think I know what I'm doing tomorrow." Alex grinned, followed by Tetsuya's nod.</p><p>"Yes, I shall gather what information I can too. I'd like to get to the bottom of this mystery."</p><p>After all, they'd love to keep the baby of the Kagami family safe. If Dai truly was an exiled member of his family, then it would be safer for them to know what he committed.</p><p>.</p><p>Taiga spent the rest of his evening in bed, as suspected. Khael was kind enough to cart him his large dinner of beef stew, ham, mashed potatoes and some other condiments. He swallowed all of those food items in a matter of minutes, all while Dai was strangely missing from his room. Actually, he hadn't seen the blunette that much today. Surely, he was keeping himself safe?</p><p>"Khael."</p><p>"Yes, Young Master?" The butler asked as he gathered the empty plates and prepared to leave.</p><p>"Is it true that the maids have been picking on Dai?"</p><p>"I..." He bowed ever so slightly. "I cannot say for sure. The ladies can be extremely discreet at times." Despite the hesitation, he seemed genuinely unaware of these happenings. "However, it's not entirely implausible, considering the affection they hold for you, Young Master. Seeing someone of... his reputation, spending time with you might have rubbed them the wrong way. I'm certain they hold your best interest at heart."</p><p>"You seriously believe that?" Taiga's voice dropped a little, clearly upset at this revelation. Running his palm over his face, he shook his head. "I'll talk to them tomorrow. Thanks, Khael."</p><p>"Of course. Rest well, Young Master."</p><p>With that, Taiga covered his face with a blanket and drifted off to an easy slumber.</p><p>.</p><p>Nights in Seirin had always been peaceful despite its hectic mornings. Today was no exception. Surrounded by small forests inhabited by mostly docile animals and occasional predators, quiet was in no shortage when the sun fell. In fact, from the balconies of the mansions, distant fireflies were sometimes visible.</p><p>A figure strolled across the hallway of the Kagami mansion. His footsteps were light and his breathing hushed. Around him was a brown cloak with a cape that covered most of his face, leaving only his glinting dark eyes visible. With trained precision, he traversed in the shadow all while avoiding the prying eyes of the maids working the night shift. It was a simple undertaking, really. This place was only loosely guarded, considering they weren't that high up among the rank of nobles.</p><p>The figure walked past one door, two doors, three doors and he turned to the left to find the one he had been searching for. Quietly, he turned the intricate doorknob and pushed the door open to reveal a large king-sized bed with a muscular man cooped up under the blanket.</p><p>Keeping himself at the ready, he approached Taiga Kagami carefully as to sense any changes in his breaths. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He was fast asleep, which meant it was the perfect time to do just this.</p><p>Looming over the redheaded man, the figure lowered his hood to reveal a pair of stormy blue eyes and soft blue locks that gently swayed as the wind blew through the windows that were slightly cracked open just next to him. Then, he reached under his cloak to brandish a sharpened kitchen knife.</p><p>The slave mark on the right side of his upper arm burned in humiliation as he brought the sharp object down to the sleeping man's neck.</p><p>He had to do this. He had to be strong for <em>her</em>. His beloved sister. It was all for her... so he could be reunited with the one person he had left on this wretched planet.</p><p>"No hard feelings." Mouthed Dai as he tried to steel himself.</p><p>So, he took a deep breath and grazed his cold knife against Taiga's throat.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope this isn't too slow!! I'm always so nervous about pacing :((</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>THE PLOT THICCENS</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was rare that the sun shone in Touou.</p><p>The kingdom was built around a mountainous area that served as a protective barrier, providing only one way in and one way out for security. To say that the rulers in the olden days were pedantic would be an understatement. While the Kingdom had been restructured time and time again through the hands of many Kings, no one ever made any real attempt to change how secluded it was from the rest of its neighbouring allies. They never had a hand in any war, nor did they ever cause any uprising.</p><p>To put it simply, Touou had no interest in anything aside from themselves. While trade routes were open, considering they were the industrial powerhouse with advance military and weaponaries, not many people had seen the King and his royal family for a long time. It was rumoured that they had some sort of deal going on with their fellow militaristic kingdom, Rakuzan, but it might just be a baseless one.</p><p>Touou was a glum place. It was overshadowed most of the time, and their crops were cultivated by the mages providing artificial sunlight. Pollution clouded the skies and suffocating the commoners who had long learned to live with it.</p><p>However, today was one of the exceptionally rare days where streams of sunlight could be seen bursting through the mountain peaks. It shone right against the castle located on the epicentre, elevated by a hill surrounded by a brick wall. With bright light enveloping the structure, it almost looked celestial to the citizens looking above in awe.</p><p>"There you are!"</p><p>A feminine voice could be heard in the large backyard with a built-in pond, gazebo and garden. In the middle was an oak tree that had been there for around five hundred years.</p><p>"Ah, Princess, please do not run! You may trip!" Yet another voice cuts through the quiet warm morning. The rustling of trimmed grass could be heard as a few women chased after the royal princess who was running towards her brother.</p><p>The man lounging near the pond enjoying the sunlight turned lazily towards the noise with a pair of disinterested eyes. With a yawn, he stretched his limbs and groaned. He knew full well what his naggy sister was about to say and he wanted to hear none of it.</p><p>"Come on, then. You are needed at the meeting! Remember, you cannot shirk your duties as a prince, sunlight or not!" She put her hands on her hips and curled her lips.</p><p>The Crown Prince of Touou rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his short blue hair that was much softer than it looked. "Get off my case, Sats'ki. Let me enjoy the warmth for once in a goddamn while."</p><p>"Dai-chan!" She objected firmly. "Father will be extremely upset if you miss this one. Midorin is in attendance too, you know!"</p><p>"Ugh... you know I don't like him." Daiki from the Aomine royal family muttered while glancing at his sister's pink hair that was a strange colour even for noble standards.</p><p>"Just because father pampers you all the time doesn't mean you can run away from your responsibilities. One day, you'll pay the price if you keep it up."</p><p>"Blah, blah, blah. Yammer, yammer, yammer." Daiki put his pinky into his ear and rubbed it.</p><p>"Dai-chan, listen to me!" She began to slap her brother's shoulders erratically, making him hiss in annoyance.</p><p>"Fine, fine!" He finally relented. It was so very difficult to refuse his sister, no matter how irritating she could be. Just as he looked over Satsuki's shoulder, he saw a pair of unfamiliar guests walking down the open hallway.</p><p>A beautiful woman covered in an elegant silver dress was walking along with a tall man. Both of them had beautiful raven locks. While the woman's was curly and long, the man's was short with fringe stopping roughly on his eyelids. He was also wearing a pair of spectacles that covered narrow, slanted eyes.</p><p>"Who are they?" Daiki frowned. The last time he saw guests was around four years ago, so his visible confusion was warranted.</p><p>The pinkette turned to see her personal maids, but then she focused on the pair behind them. "Ah, that must be Lady Maria and her son, Shoichi. I heard father courted her after seeing her during the gladiator tournament last moon."</p><p>"Huuuh?!" He moaned out loud at the surprising news. His deep blue eyes were now wide open and eyebrows raised. For a moment, the crinkle on his forehead disappeared. "And he didn't tell me this?"</p><p>"Oh, he did. You just weren't listening yesterday since you kept playing with that direwolf of yours!"</p><p>"Hey, <em>that</em> direwolf has a name, so use it. Red. It's Red!" And as if on cue, a large, 200 pounds beast charged towards them from the hallway. The poor maids shrieked in horror and made way for the spoiled little thing who immediately stopped in front of Daiki, bushy tail wagging so hard, Satsuki felt her hair blowing. "Who's a good boy? Who'zza good boy?" </p><p>The chin scratch made Red howl loud enough for the birds to scatter.</p><p>"Yes you are! Red, you're my <em>best</em> boy."</p><p>"Enough, Dai-chan! Father is expecting you." Not wanting to have any more of it, Satsuki chastised her brother who once again rolled his eyes, but this time he stood up and patted his pants free of leaves and dirt.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah." Said Daiki lazily as he walked forward, not forgetting to ruffle her hair and making her scowl. It was always so amusing to pick fun on his beloved yet naggy sister.</p><p>He did eventually walk with Red towards the meeting room. On the way there, many maids and servants bowed at the sight of him. The prior especially took a peek at him and began giggling amongst themselves which only stroked his ego. Chest puffed up, he patted his oversized dog just in time to reach the large double door that perhaps should be classified as a gate instead. It was large and ornate with the carving of the Aomine house symbol on it. A panther.</p><p>"Go on, Red. I'll be back before you know it." Said Aomine, pointing in the direction of the other more lush garden. The direwolf whined for a second but ultimately obeyed.</p><p>Aomine never liked the frivolous life of a Prince. Not only must he keep the impeccable manner of all time, but he also couldn't go out and play 'for his own safety'. As far as he was concerned, not even a single soul outside of this place knew he existed! Meetings such as this were always such a pain in the ass too.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open with both hands. It opened with a mighty creak to reveal none other than the King—his father. Sitting with him were a greenheaded, spectacle-wearing obnoxious asshole and the pair from earlier.</p><p>"You are late." The man called Shintarou Midorima remarked.</p><p>"Was enjoying the sun. It's a good day for a nap." He shrugged nonchalantly in response. "Why're you here anyway? Shouldn't you have your nose stuck in those books of yours?"</p><p>"Contrary to popular belief, reading is not the only thing I do." Replied the other male curtly, not forgetting to stick his nose up in the air the way Daiki found obnoxious.</p><p>Not wanting to make a big deal out of it, he approached his father perched on the grandest seat in the room, at the front of the table. Like Daiki, his hair was a shade of dark blue and his trimmed beard was also of the same hue. "You are here, my son."</p><p>"Sorry for being late." Said Daiki out of formality and not sincerity. Both men in the room knew of his aversion to all things formal, after all.</p><p>"Well, at least you are here." His dad chuckled before looking at the pair of strangers standing in front of him. "This is Lady Maria and her son, Shoichi. Imayoshi family."</p><p>"Hm." Daiki frowned. "The merchant group Imayoshi?"</p><p>"What an honour to have the Crown Prince recognising our family name." Shoichi bowed dramatically, his glasses glinting menacingly.</p><p>"We are extremely honoured to meet you, Prince Daiki." Lady Maria with her striking curled raven locks curtsied. She was soft-spoken much like the other nobles.</p><p>Dragging a seat back so he could occupy it, he merely grunted in response. "So what do you want?"</p><p>"Daiki, please." His father, King Shiraki gently lectured his eldest child. "I understand that it is not often that we have guests, but you must be polite."</p><p>"Oh, that's quite alright, my King. It does not offend me in the slightest. We are accustomed to such greeting, as you may imagine." Giggled the lady with her overpitched voice that somehow managed to be squeakier than Satsuki's. </p><p>"Still, please forgive my son. He is lacking in his mannerism." Said the King with an apologetic smile that made Daiki roll his eyes. "And as for you, you may miss this meeting. Please show Shoichi around the castle. He is your age, so I believe you two will get along just fine."</p><p>"Ehh!? Why me?" Daiki groaned, but seeing the look in his father's eyes, he sighed and stood up. "Fine. Follow me, glasses." He then turned towards Shintarou. "Not you. The other one."</p><p>"I am not stupid." Replied the greenette condescendingly.</p><p>Daiki straightened his dark blue cape as he walked out of the door with Shoichi following closely behind him. There was this infuriating smirk that Daiki badly wanted to punch away but his father definitely wouldn't take kindly to it.</p><p>"Just so you know, I don't like you." The dark-skinned male muttered.</p><p>"Oh, do not worry. The sentiment is echoed." Said the other nonchalantly. "Although I am fascinated. Do you intend to become King with such an attitude?"</p><p>"I don't have to be liked to be a good ruler." Daiki exhaled. "Touou isn't known for its hospitality anyway. If there's some sort of important people, I'll let Satsuki handle it. All I need to do is keep everything together."</p><p>"True enough." Replied Shoichi cryptically. The entire time, he looked around the hallway which positively showed the riches of the royal family, all done in complete silence. Then, his attention was caught the moment he saw the sunlight streaming from the windows, creating a beautiful ray of light on the ground. "What an exceptional day to visit."</p><p>"Yeah, hence why I'm gonna continue my nap. Go look around or whatever, just don't bother me." He said as he walked past his room where Red was obediently waiting for him. The beast glared at Shoichi and growled, but calmed down the moment Daiki ruffled his head. "Let's go, boy."</p><p>.</p><p>Daiki didn't like it, but Maria and Shoichi have begun to weasel their way into his family. They were a familiar face during their dinners, training times and meetings. While his father seemed smitten by this admittedly charismatic woman, Daiki was sceptical. They were <em>merchants.</em> Of course, they'd know how to sell themselves.</p><p>His relationship with Shoichi hadn't improved either. While he respected how intelligent the man was, he refused to befriend him. The dark-haired man seemed to be far too unpredictable for him to want to keep close. Daiki feared that if he let the stranger get too close, he would one day overstep his boundaries. Worse still, he might stab him in the back and create an elaborate story unfaithful to the truth.</p><p>"Good?" He smiled upon seeing Red tearing into their hunting preys that day. The direwolf was more than happy to eat two whole deer while Daiki simply watched.</p><p>"Dai-chan?" A familiar voice became familiar as the leaves behind him rustle to reveal none other than his sister. This was his dedicated rest area during his hunts, hence why she easily found him. "I knew you'd be here." She smiled, sitting on the log next to him.</p><p>"What're you doing? Shouldn't you be with dad?" He asked while poking on the campfire on the ground made from a magic scroll.</p><p>"And by that logic, you should be too. It <em>is</em> his wedding day, after all." She replied, noting how bloody the sight in front of her was. Red paid the two no mind, and instead, he kept feasting. "But I have the feeling that you wouldn't attend anyway. I understand why."</p><p>"...I don't like him. Or her." He muttered.</p><p>Satsuki shook her head. "Me neither." Then, she put her elbows on her knees and looked down at the dried leaves. "Father seems happy, at least..."</p><p>"He's being tricked. That bitch probably only wants our money and fame to expand her business. Same with her son."</p><p>Instead of an objection, he was met with a dead silence that made him glance at his pensive sister. "Yes... I think so too. It is very unlike him to not see past someone's trickery. Lonely people do desperate things, I suppose. We <em>are</em> living in seclusion if you compare us to other royal families. I doubt anyone outside the wall even know of our names."</p><p>"As if anyone does." Daiki snorted in frustration. "But... I want to change it." He continued, quietly this time, as he looked up at the sky. "When I become King, I'll open the doors. I think we've lived long enough like this. It's depressing."</p><p>"Dai-chan..." She sighed, then she leaned on his shoulder. "Yes. That will be nice. For now, though, I think we have to go back. Father would want to see us, undoubtedly."</p><p>And Daiki didn't like it. Not in the slightest, but he didn't have a choice. Neither did Satsuki. Regardless of their dislike of the woman and her son, they had very little say in the King's decision to welcome them to the family. They would just have to deal with whatever consequences this entailed later.</p><p>The moment he reached the castle, he saw Shoichi lounging around outside, presumably waiting for him to arrive. His smirk grew the moment Daiki approached him. And even though sunlight was absent, his glasses seemed to twinkle under the shade.</p><p>"I hope we get along, <em>brother</em>." Said Shoichi with a low chuckle that certainly rubbed Daiki the wrong way.</p><p>.</p><p>In the months following the sudden wedding that took place in the usually uneventful and glum kingdom, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Surprisingly enough, there had been no foul play or strange occurrences that the prince and princess expected from these unwelcomed guests. Everything went on as usual and not a single valuable was touched. </p><p>To Daiki's contempt, Lady—or rather, Queen Maria had been amicable. There was nothing that could point to her masterminding anything. Even more frustrating still was that damn Shoichi was actually not a bad guy at all. Sure, he might come across as sly which totally ground Daiki's gear, but at the same time, he was witty and fully capable of holding his own.</p><p>"Is it okay if I grab the skin?" Asked the bespectacled male as he gazed at the bear lying dead on the ground. There was a big gash on its forehead after they made quick word of it, but otherwise still intact.</p><p>Daiki emerged from behind the tree trunks after cleaning and polishing his spear. "Gonna sell it?"</p><p>Wiping his brows, Shoichi nodded. "It fetches a pretty price. Shame that we poked a hole through its skull. Well, I'm sure someone would love to have a rug despite the scar." He then crouched down and brandished a skinning knife out of the sheath attached to his belt. "It surprised me to see your skill. You don't strike me as someone who'd be this well-practiced."</p><p>"Fighting is one thing I don't nap through." Daiki puffed out his chest before his attention was stolen at the sight of Shoichi meticulously skinning their kill.</p><p>As if reading his stepbrother's mind, the dark-haired male hummed. "I know my way around organs and anatomy."</p><p>"Riiiight... Weirdo."</p><p>Shoichi replied in a snicker that made Daiki roll his eyes. "You should too, Daiki." He said without pausing. "It's not enough that you understand the skeletons; the how to physically protect yourself. As a King, it's imperative that you have a full grasp of the inner working of politics and the evil minds plotting to do you ill."</p><p>The other male stared in confusion at his statement. "Your ignorance will be your undoing."</p><p>There was silence as the wind blew past them. "Is that a threat?" He hissed. He might have let his guard down momentarily around this new family member, but that didn't mean he completely removed the line that must not be crossed.</p><p>"Perish the thought!" Shoichi chuckled. "It is but a warning." He ran the knife through the last of the flesh to sever the connection between it and the skin. "Your test has only just begun."</p><p>"Dai-chan!" As if on cue, a horrified scream broke through the forest. It was one unlike any other. Satsuki nagged and scolded with <em>that</em> voice, but it couldn't compare to the sheer horror this one produced. There, his sister quickly ran towards him and immediately tugged on his wrist.</p><p>"S-Satsuki? What's wrong?" Dropping his spear with wide eyes, he took a step forward. His sister's expression was painted with confusion and a sense of urgency could be seen through her body language.</p><p>"It's f-father. He collapsed!"</p><p>The words hit Daiki all at once and he could do nothing but run towards the exit of the forest, abandoning his kill, his weapon and Shoichi who merely stared at his disappearing figure unflinchingly.</p><p>.</p><p>It was bad. Much worse than Daiki expected.</p><p>He thought it was only going to be a passing thing, considering how the old man was still able to joke and laugh as he lied in his bed, coughing his lungs out.</p><p>"I'm getting old... Hah." He simply grinned. It alleviated some of his children's concern by putting a light smile on their faces, but it didn't last for very long. The illusion of wellness was shattered the moment his coughing fit began again.</p><p>And it only got worse for the next few weeks. Maria remained on his side, feeding him and looking after him but even through the remorse that she expressed, Daiki and Satsuki saw their stepmother's true colour. The black was finally peeking to bathe and dye her soul in it. Initially, they gave her the benefit of the doubt. After all, she had been nothing but kind, so perhaps they only guessed wrong.</p><p>However, as time went on, they could hardly stand sitting there twiddling their thumbs. Something needed to be done. They had to find out what manner of witchcraft or poison she was feeding their father before it was too late. So one day, they barged into the King's chamber. Slamming the door open, they were met with a damning view.</p><p>It was Shoichi. He sat on the edge of the bed over their father's dying figure—all skin and bones, deathly pale complexion that stung their hearts. And he had a vial of... <em>something</em> in his hand that he was pouring down the King's throat.</p><p>Shoichi's eyes widened the moment he saw the intruders. Immediately, he tipped the rest of the concoction and stood up. "This—" He took a step back the moment Daiki, bathed in blood-red fury, approached him with heavy footsteps. "This isn't—"</p><p>"You <em>fucker</em>!" The blunette bellowed, his voice cracking at the sheer volume that hit faster than his fist could. He heard a crack of a broken nose as Shoichi tumbled down. "How <em>dare</em> you!?" With a hiss, he grabbed the traitor by the collar.</p><p>"What manner of violence is this!" Was Maria's voice coming from the door. "Let go of my son at once before I summon the guard!"</p><p>"This is my home, you fucking <em>bitch</em>. You don't come here and think you can steal it from me!"</p><p>"<em>We</em> should be the ones calling the guard on you, for you are about to commit a regicide!" Satsuki yelled just as loudly, catching the attention of palace guards who rushed to their sides.</p><p>Maria gasped at the blunt words, but her eyes soon trailed down to see an empty vial that made her mouth hang open in shock. "Shoichi..."</p><p>Daiki snapped his head back towards the bespectacled man under him who fashioned a pair of indifferent eyes. However, his body was unmistakably shaking. All fight was drained from him as his mother towered over him and yanked him up by the wrist.</p><p>"I will speak to you privately, my son. You <em>will</em> explain your actions to me."</p><p>The sight puzzled Satsuki and Daiki enough to simply stare at them leaving the room. The two then looked at each other and narrowed their eyes. Was it not Maria?</p><p>Was the perpetrator... their own brother?</p><p>Something about it didn't seem right, but what else could they believe?</p><p>.</p><p>Shiraki Aomine was found dead in his room that night.</p><p>The reason for his demise was poison.</p><p>He breathed his last with his children holding his hands and in the middle of trickling down fresh water into his dry mouth.</p><p>It was also when Maria came into the room. She dropped the plate of food she was holding and shrieked at the sight.</p><p>Everything happened in a blur after that.</p><p>The now Queen pointed her finger at Daiki and ordered him to be arrested on the charge of regicide; of poisoning the King—his own father.</p><p>Daiki could still remember Satsuki's desperate, cracked screams as she helplessly watched her beloved brother being dragged into the underground prison where his sins would be judged. He would never forget the tears in her eyes, the way she howled out his name.</p><p>Even as he heard his sentence—that he was to be banished from the Kingdom and stamped as a convict, he could recall little else but Satsuki and Red. His poor direwolf was tactically sedated by the wretched Imayoshi family during the climax.</p><p>Daiki turned around one last time. He saw the dark, cracked gate of Touou forever closed to him. Queen Maria stood in front of him with a triumphant smile. Next to her was Shoichi who only stared at the ground.</p><p>Daiki didn't understand why his face was bruised that day, or why he didn't seem overjoyed in the slightest even after his complete and dominating victory.</p><p>And he also didn't understand why they wouldn't banish Satsuki with her. However, the moment he saw what awaited him after that, he was glad that his sister was safe and sound inside the cold, lifeless walls of Touou.</p><p>.</p><p>The months following his exile had been nothing short of humiliating.</p><p>From an entitled Crown Prince living his sheltered life into a worthless slave whose life meant absolutely nothing. He quickly learned that speaking back or even looking at the rough direction of his masters was practically a death sentence.</p><p>He went through broken bones, broken pride and broken heart as he was abused and starved.</p><p>They'd put him in the pigsty, let him share fodder with the filthy animals and even pit him against bears equipped with no weapon and no armour.</p><p>To add insult to injury, he heard that for the first time in years, Touou publicly introduced their Crown Prince who went by the name of Shoichi.</p><p>If Daiki was any weaker of a man than this, he would've simply stared at the news and thought nothing of it because the sky was far too unreachable for his pathetic, wretched self. The affair of nobles was no longer his business.</p><p>However, the memory of Satsuki kept him going. Even in her absence, she shielded the last of his fire from being completely extinguished.</p><p>So, he fought.</p><p>And killed his masters.</p><p>He lured the bears towards them and let the beasts maul those defenceless monsters until they were nothing more but innards and limbs. He was reclaimed by the slavers soon after where he immediately began to plan his escape. He had never been the tactician, but he had no other choice.</p><p>It was then that the Kagami family purchased him.</p><p>.</p><p>There was no other choice. The slave mark was much more than a humiliating accessory. It served as a magical contract that bound him to his Master. While Dai didn't have the full grasp of its technicalities, he knew that he was obliged to listen and follow Taiga's every command, whether the man knew it or not.</p><p>Sure, thus far, Taiga had yet to issue him an absolute order and had been nothing but kind. However, what if he changed his mind in the future? Dai would be forced to return to a potentially enraged master who learned that his slave had fled. He must tie all loose ends for his plan to work.</p><p>It was now or never. Touou was here. Yes, that snake Shoichi was here too, but so was his beloved sister. <em>Satsuki.</em> Satsuki was here. If she was still the same woman as the last time he saw her, then she would be tearing the very ground of Seirin in search of him right now. Dai truly wanted to return to her; return to his kingdom and reclaim the throne that was truly his. Not Shoichi's. <em>His</em>; for he was the true crown prince.</p><p>Prince Daiki. That was who he was. Not the filthy slave Dai who fell from grace. He had to return to Satsuki... And he must be strong for her. For him, Taiga was standing in the way between him and his future. He must go now.</p><p>He took a deep breath and—</p><p>"I see."</p><p>Da's eyes snapped open the moment he heard the soft, boyish voice from under him. When he looked down, he was met with a pair of red.</p><p>"So Alex and Tetsuya were right all along. You really <em>do</em> mean me harm." Instead of contempt, Taiga only chuckled, but it was one full of sadness. "I really am a stupid, gullible kid..."</p><p>Dai's hands remained frozen on spot. The knife had pierced Taiga's skin, making blood drip out of the cut.</p><p>"Kill me, then." He sighed, closing his eyes. "You've proved your point. I let down my guard to let a stranger in and I guess the cost of it is my life."</p><p>"Why—" Dai bit his lower lip. "Why aren't you fighting back?"</p><p>Still refusing to look at the blunette, Taiga simply smiled. "Dunno. I guess I'm just sad that you'd want to kill me. I really thought of you as my friend, you know? The thought of someone I seriously like spending my time with wanting to kill me is just... well, it crushes my pride, to be honest."</p><p>Something swirled inside his stomach. Taiga's usually boisterous voice that was always filled to the brim with life was now marred with sorrow. It just wasn't right. This wasn't the Taiga he knew.</p><p>Deep down, he wanted so badly for the perfectly capable man to fight back, turn the knife on him and perhaps snuff out what was left of his soul. It wasn't much, so he doubted it would be painful.</p><p>Despite everything that rode on this, he hesitated. And that hesitation cost him his only chance at complete freedom.</p><p>Dai's head snapped towards the door the moment he heard footsteps. With a curse, he dropped his knife and ran towards the balcony. He swung the door open, jumped onto the railing, then leapt towards the nearby tree before disappearing into the night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There's a lot of questionable decisions and plot holes here, but all in due time! I'll elaborate on them in the future chapters :) Thanks for reading! Feedbacks are always welcome~ I hope I'm not overloading you guys... I tend to get so carried away when world building</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Although disorientated, Taiga was awake when someone entered his room. Sure, he was still woozy thanks to whatever it was that Alex fed him earlier, but he was sober enough to know that it was the cold steel of a knife that was put on his throat. Now, he might not be the most intelligent man on the planet, but he knew to not make any sudden movement as to not agitate his assailant. The fact that his throat hadn't been slit in a split second only meant that there were hesitation and Taiga didn't want to push his luck when his life was on the line.</p><p></p><div>
  <p>Instead, he slowly cracked open his eyes and was met with a haunting sight he didn't expect to see.</p>
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  <p>He imagined a hooded figure, a man he wronged in the past, but even through the darkness, Taiga could make out the man's distinct features.</p>
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  <p>He felt his stomach sinking when he realised this wasn't a hallucination. All those warnings from Alex and Tetsuya immediately flashed in his head as well as what Dai said just yesterday.</p>
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  <p>You have no idea that they would kill you if it means they get a better life. You shouldn't risk what you have because if you let your guard down, you'll lose it.</p>
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  <p>If that was the case, then Dai had been planning his demise since the day he stepped foot in the mansion. The mere thought of it was enough to shatter his fight or flight response. Had he been truly foolish to trust in Dai? Was it really a mistake to show kindness to someone? Was his naivete truly a weakness?</p>
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  <p>Defeated, Taiga could do nothing but sit and stare at the balcony door through which his 'friend' escaped from. Clearly, it was a one-sided affair, considering that Dai had no problem trying to kill Taiga. The redhead brushed his neck where he felt sticky liquid dripping out of, then at the abandoned knife lying on the lush carpet over the cold ceramic floor.</p>
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  <p>It shouldn't hurt this much, but for some reason, it did. What had he done that warranted such backlash? He thought that he treated Dai with nothing but fairness... treated him like he would a friend, but was it simply not enough? Could it be that Dai felt condescended and pitied?</p>
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  <p>Despite what he witnessed, Taiga absolutely refused to believe that Dai was a man capable of murder. After all, those eyes... those eyes weren't ones of a criminal's. Although fierce they were, Taiga couldn't see any ill-intent.</p>
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  <p>"Taiga!"</p>
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  <p>The redhead remained seated on his bed, one hand on his neck. He absolutely refused to look at the guest until she was right beside him grabbing the weapon off the floor.</p>
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  <p>"Was it him?" She asked sternly. The usual nonchalance was absent, and in its place was controlled, repressed ire that wasn't heard often from her. "Taiga. Answer me."</p>
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  <p>"I refuse..."</p>
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  <p>"What?" Alex narrowed her eyes at the mumble. On the door now stood Tetsuya who observed the situation with a slight furrow on his brow. It was obvious that he was no less pleased with what almost happened.</p>
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  <p>"I refuse to admit that Dai's a bad guy. There must be a reason why he did it!" Still looking down, Taiga clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He was certain of it. His hunch had never failed him, so there was no reason why it would now. "It doesn't make any sense... what does he get from killing me?"</p>
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  <p>"His freedom." Alex answered, her voice unwavering as she stood back and glared at her pupil. "You are his shackles, Taiga. Do you know what Dai's slave brand represent?"</p>
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  <p>Tentatively, the redhead peeked through his bangs and looked up at her.</p>
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  <p>"It's not just some accessory. It binds him to you and magically forces him to heed any orders you issue. In short," She narrowed her eyes. "If you tell him to kill himself, he would. Not by choice, but by obligation." The moment his eyes snapped open in surprise, she sighed. "You didn't even know that much?"</p>
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  <p>"Worry not, brother. He hasn't been spending time with you because he is bound by contractual obligation. Requests do not equate to orders, so by that logic, everything he did, he did it by his own free will." Tetsuya's words seemed to soothe Taiga a little as his shoulders promptly deflated.</p>
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  <p>"I want you to look at and listen to me, Taiga." Alex grabbed a hold of the man's hands, then waited for him to do what he was told. "Dai is not a normal slave. In fact, he isn't a noble either."</p>
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  <p>Taiga frowned, clearly confused. "What? So what is he?"</p>
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  <p>"His real name is Daiki and he is the firstborn son of the Aomine family."</p>
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  <p>"You do not mean...!" Tetsuya was the first to respond, completely baffled at the revelation.</p>
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  <p>"Yes. He's a prince. Or rather, was."</p>
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  <p>"W-wait, wait, wait!" Taiga pulled away and stared at Alex wide-eyed. "How do you know all this? And are you really sure?"</p>
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  <p>"I'm a hundred percent sure." The woman straightened her back and crossed her arms. "My travels took me to Touou less than a year ago. I managed to get through the gates thanks to a fisherman I rescued from a gang of unruly pirates. It so happened to be the wedding day of Shiraki Aomine and Maria Imayoshi. It was only a mere glimpse but I saw him. The crown prince himself, in flesh."</p>
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  <p>"That's... preposterous. No one knows of his existence, so how did you?" Tetsuya stepped further into the room. This time, his presence was as clear as day.</p>
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  <p>"You cannot mistake him for anyone else other than the crown prince. You've said it yourself, Tetsuya. It's the aura they carry. Not to mention his striking blue hair that was the exact same shade as his father's. And besides, no normal noble would have dressed so immaculately the way he did back then."</p>
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  <p>The lithe male put a finger on his lips and mulled over the information with a frown. It felt like forever for Taiga who could only stare at his brother, hoping that the man would deny the ridiculous claim. "...No. I cannot fault that logic." He exhaled, eventually. "If he is truly a prince, then he would have committed something quite grave indeed to be sent here. His decision to take my brother's life would be no coincidence either, considering the current crown prince and princess' presence within Seirin's walls." He paused. "Not to mention I have heard reports of Princess Satsuki scouring this land day and night tirelessly. She must be quite desperate to find her brother."</p>
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  <p>Alex nodded. "You see what I'm getting at? There is no better opportunity to return than now, especially if he has a friend in his sister yet."</p>
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  <p>The tension was interrupted by Taiga collapsing against the backboard of his bed, his face pale. "You guys are crazy... there's no way..." He muttered despite knowing that there was no escaping it. There was quiet for a few seconds before Taiga inhaled sharply, ripped the duvet blanket off his body and put his feet on the ground. "I have to find him."</p>
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  <p>"Whoa!" The blond immediately pushed her pupil back onto the bed. "I think not, young man. You'll find him and then what?"</p>
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  <p>"And hear the story from his own mouth! I can't just take everything you guys say at face value!"</p>
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  <p>"Calm down, brother." Tetsuya cut in. "If you give pursue now, it might come across as you trying to claim back what is yours. I'm certain you do not wish for misunderstandings?"</p>
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  <p>"I... guess." Taiga huffed helplessly, but that didn't stop him from fidgeting on spot.</p>
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  <p>"For now, we should wash your wound and ensure that it will not cause infection. For safety precaution, I will stay in the room with you, although I doubt Dai will return any time soon."</p>
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  <p>With a nod from the redhead, the night that seemed to be at a complete halt resumed once again.</p>
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  <p>.</p>
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  <p>Daiki wasn't overly familiar with the layout of Seirin, but he ran. He ran as fast as his feet could take him.</p>
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  <p>The moonlight felt like it shone a spotlight on him, making him completely visible to the eyes and exposing him for his sins. He had never felt so vulnerable before.</p>
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  <p>It was only after his breathing shortened and his legs turned wobbly that he stopped. The dark-skinned male put his hands on his knees to regain his bearing, and when he looked around, he was met by a sturdy brick wall behind. He was standing right in front of the castle.</p>
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  <p>"What a fucking joke." With a scoff, Daiki leaned against the cold masonry as he slid to his rear. Shakily, he brought his palms up to gaze upon them while nibbling on his inner cheeks.</p>
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  <p>In the end, he didn't do it. He couldn't. Even though his future depended on it, he failed to do the one thing he set out to do. Satsuki was here. It was perfect. All he had to do was get rid of that one roadblock that could potentially pose a danger to him in his journey back home, but he couldn't even do that much.</p>
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  <p>The blunette reflexively grabbed his slave mark and winced at his sharp nails that dug into the skin, piercing it. He had lost count of how many things he had been forced to do by his old masters. Cruel, inhumane things he would rather not recite lest it resulted in a panic attack. He understood just debilitating this brand was. His owners didn't even have to be present for it to trigger. For instance, if Taiga ordered him to kill himself right this instant, the mark would react to it and Daiki would have no choice but to carry out his master's wish.</p>
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  <p>Hence why he needed to sever this involuntary connection. To let Taiga live was a hazard too great for him to want to risk. What if one day after he claimed back his throne, the redhead decided to rear his ugly head? It would be far too late for regrets then. The aftermath would be catastrophic.</p>
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  <p>And even though everything was at stake, Daiki couldn't find it in him to finish the job, all thanks to one simple fact.</p>
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  <p>Taiga was the first person to treat him like a human being in months. That time range might not be all that significant for most, but for Daiki, it was the longest few months he had ever had to live through. Falling back into the life of a slave in the hands of the Kagami family, he expected the same cruel treatment, but instead, he was met with warmth.</p>
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  <p>Daiki wished that it wasn't the case. He wished that Taiga would be just like the others—heartless, but of course, life couldn't be that simple. Because why would it be?</p>
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  <p>So, he sat there. Now that he had nowhere else to go to, he didn't know what to do. His brain ceased process altogether after his grave failure that left him without a roof over his head for the night.</p>
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  <p>Feeling wind caressing his hair, Daiki stared at the sky. If he tried hard enough, he could almost visualise his home. How cold it was and how the smell of burnt metal permeated the air. It might not be pleasant for those who lived far from an industrial zone like Touou, but it was a sensation Daiki considered home.</p>
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  <p>Ah, how he longed to return. As he slowly evened out his breaths, he closed his eyes and wished that time would turn back. Or even for him to wake up from this nightmare.</p>
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  <p>"...Dai-chan?"</p>
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  <p>Just one simple word.</p>
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  <p>"Dai-chan... is—" The voice cracked. "Is that you?"</p>
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  <p>In an instant, tears pooled in Daiki's eyes as he was faced with the distraught sight of his sister. Not a single strand of her hair was misplaced. She looked just as stunning as she was when he last saw her, with her hair tied in a loose bun and modest white dress that kept her safe from the cold air.</p>
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  <p>"Satsuki...?" The blunette sat there. He could do nothing but look up at her unblinkingly as if the moment he lost sight of her, she'd disappear.</p>
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  <p>"Dai-chan!" The female ran towards him and put her arms around him. "It's you... it's really you..." With reckless abandon, she wailed into his shoulder. Tears dropped down, wetting the flesh underneath but Daiki didn't mind. Not at all. This warmth and smell was something he missed.</p>
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  <p>"It's me," He breathed out. "I'm here."</p>
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  <p>She had a difficult time composing herself, as shown through the wild quivering of her shoulders, the loud sobbing and the desperate clawing that hiked up Daiki's clean brown shirt.</p>
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  <p>And her brother was not doing any better. While he kept any noise at an absolute minimum, he was biting his lower lip and clenching his eyes shut as if it would prevent tears from slipping out. It didn't. Streams of liquid dripped down his chin in his futile effort to remain calm.</p>
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  <p>"I can't believe I finally found you..." She sniffed, pulling away to take a better look at her sibling but her expression quickly dropped the moment she did. He looked the same, yet very, very different at the same time. "What happened to you, Dai-chan?"</p>
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  <p>The blunette wiped his eyes and snorted. "This and that. Nothing you wanna know, trust me." He then smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."</p>
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  <p>Satsuki nodded somberly. "Yes, I'm fine, but you're not." She curled her lips and furrowed her brows.</p>
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  <p>Daiki sighed. "I just wanna go back home."</p>
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  <p>"I know, Dai-chan," She grimaced. "And I want to take you back too, but..." She paused. "Things aren't looking good back there. I doubt you will survive if you are found by the guards."</p>
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  <p>"I'm going to fucking kill her."</p>
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  <p>"You can't!" She gasped. "It's reckless and we both know it. Besides, even if you do, then it still won't do you any good. Your status as the crown prince won't magically return. You'll remain a fugitive as long as the Imayoshi's are sitting on the throne."</p>
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  <p>"Then I'll kill that fucking snake too. With both of them gone, you'll ascend the throne, right? Then I'll be able to go back..." His shoulders deflated at the sudden ray of hope. "We'll be together again, Satsuki."</p>
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  <p>They simply gazed at each other for a few seconds, but Daiki could see another wave of sadness in his sister's visage.</p>
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  <p>"What's wrong?"</p>
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  <p>"...You're many things, but a murderer isn't one of them, Dai-chan." She murmured. "You're my idiot brother... you're annoying and mischievous, but you're not a murderer."</p>
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  <p>Something resonated within Daiki as soon as Satsuki said that, but he quickly buried it. "But if I don't do it, I won't ever be able to return. Besides, I've—" He snapped his mouth shut the moment Satsuki stared at him wide-eyed as if about to break down at the revelation that he had taken a life before.</p>
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  <p>"Dai-chan, I want you to come back too, but not like this." She quickly added before Daiki could utter one more word. "There must be another way..."</p>
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  <p>"No." He replied curtly, startling her. "I've had enough living like this. Do you know how much shit I had to endure as a fucking slave? I won't live a single day like this anymore. I'm fucking tired, Satsuki. I wanna go home... I wanna pretend like this whole thing never happened."</p>
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  <p>"A sla—" She stopped. Instead, she grabbed the right sleeve of Aomine's shirt and pulled it up to reveal a brand that she immediately jerked back from. "Gods..." At the realisation, she put her hands on her mouth and felt her eyesight blurring due to tears that pooled. "I'm sorry, Dai-chan... I-I didn't know... I'm—" She sobbed. "I'm sorry..."</p>
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  <p>Not wanting to see his sister cry, Daiki simply stared at the ground. "It's not your fault. But now you understand why I'd do anything to go back."</p>
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  <p>"Your current m-master, i-is he...?"</p>
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  <p>"He's alive. Once we've finished our business, I'm sure we can... sort it out."</p>
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  <p>"You mean to kill him?" The pinkette sniffed.</p>
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  <p>"What choice do we have? To have someone alive who's able to get me to do his every whim is dangerous. Especially if I'm King." He clenched his fists as he tried to close his heart. However, tried as he might, all he could see was Taiga's bright smile directed at him and him alone. His boisterous, excitable laughter never ceased to fix Daiki one piece at a time. At a time where he started to believe that his life was worthless, Taiga gave him hope and a place to return to. Taiga gave him companionship; the reassurance that perhaps, he wasn't as unimportant as others would have him believe.</p>
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  <p>And despite what manner of scepticism he tried to force down his throat, there was no denying the sincerity of Taiga's actions. The look of concern whenever he saw a bruise, the instant defensiveness whenever someone talked down to Daiki... They all seemed so real. Daiki wished that there was something to convince him otherwise, but...</p>
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  <p>"You don't mean that." She calmly recited. "This master of yours..." She muttered while lowering herself so she could look at her brother. The fact that he wasn't badly malnourished meant that the situation, hopefully, couldn't be horrific. "He's not a bad guy, is he?"</p>
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  <p>All Daiki could do was grit his teeth.</p>
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  <p>"Who is he, Dai-chan? What's his name?" She calmly patted him even through her tears. "Let's talk to him. Maybe there's another way we can do this without having to kill him."</p>
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  <p>"No!" Daiki shuddered. "I can't face him again... Not after what I've almost done. I," He took a deep breath. "I almost slit his throat, Satsuki. He saw me, so I ran. There's no way I'm going back there again. Even if he doesn't kill me, his brother would. Or that mentor of his."</p>
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  <p>"Well, then I'll speak to them! They will listen, for sure. They have to. I'm the Princess of Touou and they won't dare to lay a finger on me." She huffed. There was a fire of determination burning in her eyes that Daiki couldn't ever refuse.</p>
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  <p>The temper tantrum made the blunette crack a grin that was followed by laughter. Ruffling his sister's hair, he couldn't help but smile at her. "You're crazy."</p>
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  <p>The sudden shift in tension, too, led the princess to giggle. She put an arm around her brother's and put her forehead on his arm. "Someone has to be. Let's go, Dai-chan. We have some apologising to do. Oh, and on the way, you have to tell me about him! It's not often that I hear about a nice master..."</p>
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  <p>The pair walked away from the castle and descended down the stairs.</p>
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  <p>.</p>
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  <p>Even after an hour or two of being consoled, Taiga remained sulking on his bed. His neck was now nicely bandaged up and Tetsuya was next to him lying under the blanket while Alex lounged on the couch, polishing her twinblades and looking at her reflection appreciatively. It was less her narcissism and more her love for all shiny steel surfaces. Preferably the pointy ones.</p>
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  <p>"Brother, you must sleep. It is unhealthy to agonise over this when there is naught you can do." Said Tetsuya for the umpteenth time when he saw that Taiga was still gazing out the balcony door that had long been shut.</p>
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  <p>And Taiga knew it. He shouldn't beat himself up like this while thinking of what-if's. Dai made an attempt on his life, so naturally, he should resent the man. But deep down, he knew he didn't.</p>
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  <p>That was then that there was a frantic knock on the door that when excused, revealed an extremely distraught Khael. His white hair was slightly messy and he was panting in a panic, taking all three by surprise. Even Taiga was momentarily distracted from his thoughts. They let the head butler take a deep breath.</p>
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  <p>"P-P—" He stammered. "Princess Satsuki from the Touou Kingdom is here!"</p>
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  <p>"Ah, here we go." Alex set down her blades and tilted her head when she locked eyes with Tetsuya. It seemed that both of them were already expecting this, judging from their mannerism. "Go get her, hotshot. I'll make sure Taiga stays here."</p>
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  <p>"Much appreciated, Alexandra." The male with light blue hair immediately made his way towards the door quietly, all while Khael panicked in the background. The door was closed before Taiga was given the chance to say a coherent word. However, with Alex in the room, Tetsuya understood that there was nothing to woe over. If there was anyone who could hold his impetuous brother down, it was her.</p>
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  <p>He descended down the stairs with light footsteps until he eventually reached the halfway mark where he saw the back of their guest. Even though Tetsuya had not met Princess Satsuki, he could rapidly tell that this was her. There was an air of elegance around her as she tucked a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear.</p>
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  <p>"Princess Satsuki?"</p>
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  <p>The poor thing shrieked. She jumped on the spot and widened her eyes when she saw the stealthy young man. "O-oh. You—" She then narrowed her eyes in recognition. "Tetsuya Kuroko from the Kagami family?"</p>
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  <p>"Ah, you know of me?" He blinked, quite befuddled considering that he wasn't exactly a prominent name.</p>
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  <p>Ignoring the question, she immediately cut to the chase. "Are you Dai-chan's...?"</p>
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  <p>"No," He shook his head. "I am not your brother's master. I am but a mediator, considering how extremely distraught my brother is after the recent... assassination attempt."</p>
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  <p>Unexpectedly, Satsuki bowed her head deeply to the point where everyone around them gasped. "I humbly apologise!"</p>
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  <p>"O-oh." Even Tetsuya was taken aback. His lips moved around wordlessly for a moment until the Princess lifted her head up with turmoil in her face.</p>
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  <p>"How did you know I am his sister?" She then questioned. "Ah, no matter. You must understand that he did what he thought was best, considering his little trust in others at this point. Please, I implore you to not pursue this matter further. If anything happens to him, I'm—"</p>
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  <p>"It's alright, Princess. Taiga is not the type to hold grudges, and besides, he is less upset at Prince Daiki at the moment than he is of himself."</p>
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  <p>The words seemed to bring some colour back in the lady's face as she breathed out in relief. "May I see him?"</p>
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  <p>Tetsuya nodded lightly before gesturing at Khael to fetch the redhead. The butler moved frantically upstairs. "To answer your question earlier, I didn't know until earlier either. One of our family friends is quite well-travelled and she just so happened to recall this information during her sleep."</p>
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  <p>"Dai-chan..." She smiled softly. "Dai-chan might be insensitive and stupid, but he isn't a bad guy. I promise. It's just... he's been through so much ever since he was cast away..."</p>
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  <p>"Pardon me for asking, but what crime did he commit to warrant such a penalty?" Asked Tetsuya after ushering her towards the couch. It would be unbecoming to let a Princess stand around like that, after all.</p>
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  <p>Satsuki's brows furrowed as she gracefully lowered herself onto the fluffy surface, not forgetting to brush her dress so it wouldn't crinkle. "It's more like what crime he didn't commit."</p>
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  <p>"Ah." Tetsuya immediately understood. "It was Prince Shoichi's doing, then?"</p>
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  <p>The observation skill startled her, as shown through the way she snapped her head towards the male. It took a couple of seconds for her befuddled expression to melt into one of intrigue. "As expected of the King's adviser. You really are as intelligent as I thought you'd be."</p>
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  <p>"You gave me too much credit, Princess."</p>
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  <p>"Satsuki is fine. No need for formality." A smile grew on her thin lips along with the glint in her beautiful eyes. "While I will not indulge in the details, believe me when I say that Dai-chan is the true Crown Prince, and what fate befell him in the past few months, wasn't deserved in the slightest."</p>
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  <p>Tetsuya nodded. "I believe you, Pri—Satsuki. Shoichi strikes me as less of a Prince and more of a businessman." Admitted the male calmly. However, just as he was about to explain his reasoning, loud footsteps rapidly approaching them could be heard. The moment the two looked up, they saw Taiga slightly panting after all the running.</p>
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  <p>"Dai?"</p>
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  <p>"Is not here, unfortunately." Satsuki immediately stood up and curtsied. "I am his sister, Satsuki Momoi, bearing my mother's name as opposed to my father's."</p>
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  <p>The admittance made Taiga wobble, but he managed to stop himself before he fell. "So it was true. Dai really is a prince?" He muttered quietly.</p>
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  <p>"Many things happened, but yes. Yes, he is—was the Crown Prince of Touou until the incident half a year ago, after which he fell into..." She lowered her eyes and voice. "...Slavery..." Her voice broke a little as she uttered those words, and Tetsuya could only tap her shoulder gently in reassurance.</p>
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  <p>"Fear not, Satsuki. Your brother hasn't led a miserable life in this mansion." He smiled.</p>
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  <p>"Thank you," She choked as she buried her face in her palms. "Thank you for taking care of Dai-chan. He is the only one I have left, so—" A sniff and a jolt of the shoulder interrupted her speech. "I wouldn't know what to do if I had found him in a worse condition th-than this..."</p>
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  <p>"It's... okay." Leaning against a wall, Taiga sighed. "Sorry, my brain still can't process this." With a huff, he began to walk back and forth restlessly. Had he really treated a Prince as a friend? He might not be the most polite man in the world, but he knew that in any kingdom, such an act was unacceptable! Getting a Prince to hunt with him? To look for his horse!? To eat a grilled bear, deer, gather raw material in the forest... and to <em>spar</em> barehanded!? "Is he—" Taiga leaned into Satsuki's space. "Is he angry at me?"</p>
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  <p>"Pardon?" The pinkette blinked.</p>
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  <p>"Dai. Is he angry that I disrespected him? Darn it!" He facepalmed. "Of course he is. He's a <em>bloody</em> prince, yet I asked him to do so many menial tasks. Of <em>course,</em> a Prince wouldn't know how to light a fire manually... or catch a fish barehanded. What the hell was I thinking!? He must've thought that I was being a jerk!"</p>
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  <p>There was silence as Taiga agonised over everything that happened in the short span of time he spent with Daiki. Satsuki and Tetsuya looked at each other. While the former was at a loss for word, the latter only shrugged with a fond smile.</p>
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  <p>"Ah, yes. You will learn that my brother is also... an idiot."</p>
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  <p>She immediately burst into laughter at that. It was one that was so loud and melodic, Taiga stopped speaking out loud.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ah, Taiga! You don't have to worry about upsetting my stupid brother. In fact, <em>he</em> is the one who thought that he'd invoke the fury of the Hell itself after what he tried to do." She took a step forward towards Taiga before putting a hand on the bandage wrapped around his neck. "I hope he didn't inflict a deep wound?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Uh, no." He stuttered at the peachy strawberry smell invading his nostrils. "No, just a scratch. Doesn't even hurt."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thank you, Taiga. Truly. Thank you for not treating Dai-chan like he is disposable, much like the other slavers out there." Satsuki choked amidst her smile. "Most slaves, after merely a few weeks, would have lost their light. They have to deal with so much injustice and unspeakable cruelty by those who cannot value the life of others. But not my brother..." She smiled. "He's always been strong, yes. However, I'm sure that had someone not been there to show him a sliver of kindness... perhaps his humanity really would've faded away. Perhaps... he'd be a criminal, a convict.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"And he told me all about you on the way here. While disgruntled, he recited stories about how you hunted together, how you almost became a bear's lunch. Ah, and what an amazing cook you are! He said that everything you produce reminded him of life back in the castle when we had chefs preparing our meals." Satsuki hopped up and down excitedly. "I think Dai-chan really likes you, Tai-chan."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Tai-chan?" The redhead blinked, but his face soon turned as red as his hair everything that the Princess recounted. "R-really? You really think... Dai doesn't hate me?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No way!" She grabbed Taiga's hands to emphasise her point. "You see, Dai-chan... he never had a playmate. As the royal heirs, we both lived secluded from the rest of our people for our safety. Our entire lives, we only ever know each other. Never once had I ever seen Dai-chan's eyes shine the way they did when he told me about you." Once again, her words began to shake at the floodgate of memory that she opened. The days when everything was okay. "He doesn't get along well with other nobles invited to the castle, so he mostly lives his life in seclusion, opting to hide whenever guests arrive."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>It struck a chord within Taiga's soul. He could vividly imagine what it must've been like, considering that he was also in the same shoes.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"But to hear that he met someone so similar to him..." Satsuki giggled despite the tears that riddled her cheeks. "It truly makes me happy. If only you were there from the very beginning, then maybe he wouldn't even wanna go back to the castle!" She grinned as she wiped her tears away with her fingers.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's no biggie, really..." The redhead scratched the back of his head awkwardly. What a relief it was to hear that he wasn't hated by someone whose friendship he truly valued. Now that the revelation had dropped, he could see a shimmer of hope in the distance. Maybe with a little talk, they would be able to move past this whole debacle and emerge as friends on the other side?</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Tai-chan!" With an iron grip and resolute expression, Satsuki grabbed Taiga's wrist. "He's waiting outside. Let's go see him. I'm sure you two have plenty to discuss."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"E-eh? Really?" Taiga sputtered as he was being dragged away by the surprisingly powerful dainty Princess. Despite the confusion, relief washed over him</p>
</div><div>
  <p>This 'naivete' that Alex and Tetsuya mentioned was a weakness, was in fact, not one. On the contrary, it might have saved his hides.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Mmmmmmmyeah I think I'm about to accidentally write another slowburn, god PLEASE HELP ME</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Ah-choo!"</p><p>Daiki regretted not grabbing a jacket on the way out because right now, he was busy rubbing his arm up and down furiously to create some warmth. He wasn't expecting the day to end up on such a cold temperature, considering how sunny it was during the day. Despite that, he refused to step a foot inside the Kagami manor where the warmest hearth resided.</p><p>That didn't stop his blue eyes to wander towards the window on the second floor, however. The curtain was partly open with bright orange light spilling out it which meant that the owner was still awake.</p><p>He took a hard look on it as he reflected on the earlier's event that was still fresh on his mind. While he was convinced that his actions should warrant some degree of hatred, he knew that that idiot Taiga was probably busy sulking instead of throwing some sort of temper tantrum. And that was exactly why he felt even worse about his rash decision.</p><p>Daiki then lowered his eyes towards his palm that gripped the blade earlier that night. He could scarcely believe that he almost killed an innocent man. Now that he had time to let it sink in, he realised just how tasteless that word sounded: murder. Yes, he led his old masters to their demise, but even then, it wasn't by his own hands. He simply led the bear back to their camp so it could finish the job. Surely, that didn't count?</p><p>He... wasn't a murderer, was he?</p><p>"Dai-chaaaan!" Satsuki's voice snapped him out of it. After turning his head, the first thing he saw was red. Not in the metaphorical sense, but literal. Taiga was there staring at him with his wide, hopeful red eyes that Daiki immediately turned away from. How could he face someone he wronged head-on?</p><p>"Uhm," Taiga started while Daiki was busy admiring the grass under his feet. "I'm sorry!"</p><p>"Haa!?" The blunette blurted out in disbelief.</p><p>"I swear, I didn't know you were a prince! If I did, then I wouldn't have been... uh, so casual... I guess." He murmured as he scratched the back of his head.</p><p>"Oi, oi. I tried to kill you, you know! Why the hell are you the one apologising?" Daiki pointed his finger between Taiga's eyes accusingly, making the redhead flinch. "Besides, my being a prince doesn't matter when I've been stripped off my title."</p><p>"Still..." Taiga curled his lips in a pout as he angled his head down, but kept his eyes tentatively on Daiki's. The bashful look made the bluehead flinch a little and his heart skipped a beat.</p><p>Unsure of what that sensation was, he stuffed his hands in his pocket and tensed his shoulders. "Whatever. I'm sorry too. I didn't wanna do it, but I thought I had to, what with the slave mark and all."</p><p>"I won't do anything with it. I swear!" Taiga replied a bit too quickly. "I get why you don't want anyone to have control over your life, but I'm not like that. Cross my heart."</p><p>"That's the problem, stupid. Your promises mean nothing to me." He said without thinking of his wording. It was only when he saw Taiga's imaginary ears drooping that he fumbled. "I mean—well, y'know! We've only just met and all. I can't trust you that quickly."</p><p>"Ah!" The redhead grinned, the colour now returning to his cheeks. "In that case, I'll make you trust me."</p><p>Satsuki giggled at such a wholehearted, sincere response. "There we go. Problem solved, right, Dai-chan? If only you just talked to him about it. Tai-chan is a great guy!" The princess added which only added insult to injury for Daiki who knew his communication skill was shockingly abhorrent for royalty.</p><p>"Ugh, whatever."</p><p>"Dai-chan." The pinkette walked towards her brother and nudged him with her elbow. "You forgot to apologise."</p><p>There was a second of break before he exhaled and lowered his head. "Sorry. Trying to kill you like that was uncool."</p><p>"No harm done anyway! It's all good." Taiga grinned with both his arms on his hips.</p><p>Then, they heard a whistle from above them. When the group glanced up, Alex was there waving at them. "All settled, boys?" And at the thumb's up from Taiga, she hummed approvingly.</p><p>"Well, I'm afraid that I won't take you up on that offer," Daiki muttered after a short pause. "The whole trust thing, I meant. I'm leaving the moment Satsuki leaves, so..."</p><p>"That's no problem!" Taiga's eyes gleamed with excitement that took him completely by surprise. "I'll come with you. I mean, you're going to prove your innocence, right? I wanna help in any way I can! Besides..." He scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I've been kinda rearing for an adventure. Never really had a reason to, but now it's right in front of me! I'd be mad to turn it down."</p><p>"Brother!" Tetsuya exclaimed sternly. "This is no child's play. While I do not mind you venturing outside the gates, what Prince Daiki is about to do is extremely dangerous. You are practically declaring war on the entire Touou Kingdom, and if your identity is ever leaked, Seirin will be a prime target for them! I may have all the confidence in the world in our defensive capability, but might I remind you that Touou is the lead militaristic kingdom? The collateral damage will be simply unthinkable!"</p><p>"Ugh... you're right..." The redhead shirked, scratching his head. "But still... if I don't get found out, it's okay, right? Besides, we're not exactly an infamous family anyway."</p><p>Tetsuya narrowed his eyes and shook his head. However, there was something fond behind the exasperated action. "You truly are a fool, brother."</p><p>"H-hey!"</p><p>"A strongheaded fool who will not budge once he's set his mind to something. Go, then. I will not stop you. And if you worry about father's concern, it's okay. I'll handle it."</p><p>"Seriously?" Taiga beamed an ear-to-ear grin. "You're the best, Tetsuya! So, when are we leaving?" He then turned towards the other siblings who were staring at each other in confusion.</p><p>"U-uh, we are scheduled for tomorrow, so if we wish to slip by unnoticed, right now would be..." Satsuki replied tentatively. "You are serious, Tai-chan?"</p><p>"Hell yeah, I am! I won't sit here knowing that you've been unjustly sentenced, Dai! Er, I mean... Your Highness."</p><p>"Daiki's fine." The blunette chuckled. "Never been a fan of honorifics anyway."</p><p>"Great! Let me just pack up my stuff. I'll meet you guys at the back gate? It's usually quiet back there."</p><p>"Don't chicken out, <em>master</em>." The dark-skinned male let out a bone-chilling smirk that made Taiga stutter momentarily. "Let's go, Satsuki. We shouldn't dally. We might risk getting caught, especially if we're talking about Shoichi."</p><p>"You're right." She nodded, then turned towards Taiga with a small smile. "Fifteen minutes. If you don't come within that timeframe, we will leave."</p><p>"Got it!" Taiga immediately dashed past everyone and back into the manor. The speed he displayed was simply breathtaking. Within seconds, he reached his bedroom so he could find a large enough bag for him to pack all the necessities.</p><p>
  <em>Bam.</em>
</p><p>In front of him was a tightly bound greataxe and the bow Tetsuya gave him for his birthday, along with the quiver and a few arrows. All of them were secured with sturdy leather and tied with a hempen rope in a tidy knot.</p><p>"Took care of these for you." Alex winked as she stroke the sharps fondly as she would her children. "Go get everything else ready, hotshot."</p><p>"That's awesome. Thanks, Alex" The redhead bounced on the spot before he dove for his wardrobe and began spilling the content out. In his adventuring bag, he put a few clean shirts, pants and underwear along with some leather for protection. He opted to ditch his cape this time and instead used the space for bandages as well as other medical supplies they might need. Socks, comfortable sandals...</p><p>"Here you go, brother." Tetsuya dropped neatly packed spice varieties that Taiga greeted with a huge grin. Of course! How could he forget about those? "And these." Procuring a few vials of potions, he smiled.</p><p>The taller male carefully placed them in his bag and nodded at Tetsuya. "Thanks. I'll come back safely, I promise."</p><p>"I have no doubt that you will." The lithe male tapped Taiga's shoulder. "Safe travels, brother. Return swiftly with tales."</p><p>With a chuckle, Taiga pulled his sibling into a crushing hug.</p><p>"—Hurts...."</p><p>"Sorry!" Taiga retreated, grinning apologetically. He always forgot the difference in build they had. "I'm going now. See you all later!"</p><p>.</p><p>The Aomine's could be spotted obscured near the front gates obscured behind some overgrown foliage yet to be trimmed. Courtesy to Satsuki's gleaming white dress, they tried their damnedest to keep to the shadow as much as possible but it proved to be tricky. So, with her crouching and Daiki internally counting the seconds, they waited.</p><p>While he wasn't expecting anything from the noble, he had to admit that he was holding out hope that Taiga would stay true to his word. He had seen first hand how capable the man was at all things survival and even combat, not to mention how absolutely bearable he was as a companion. He was ashamed to say that Taiga was everything he longed for in a friend. Had they met years ago when he was still a Prince, he would've been the happiest Prince in the world.</p><p>It didn't take too long for a figure to rapidly approach from within the walls. Daiki's already gleaming eyes now shone even brighter the moment he saw striking red hair and masculine body signature to Taiga Kagami. He might be a little lacking in the concealment of his emotion because next to him, his sister giggled.</p><p>The blunette's cheeks heated up and he quickly looked away just in time for Taiga to come to a halt in front of him with a wide grin. With him were Ten and Five who snorted at the sight of Daiki.</p><p>"You're still here! Awesome. I'm all ready to go, so—"</p><p>"My, my..."</p><p>In an instant, Daiki's expression became taut. The frown lines on his forehead became even more prominent as he let out a low, hostile growl that chilled Taiga's bones.</p><p>"What do we have here? The Kingslayer in flesh." The nonchalant voice, too, led Satsuki to emerge from her hiding position with pursed lips and clenched fists. "Why the hostility? I merely came by to say hello." He smirked, slits of his eyes now opening slightly to display a pair of cold jet black eyes that immediately put Taiga on guard. Behind him were two fully armed men who had their spears pointed right at Daiki. However, with one wave of the hand, they withdrew them.</p><p>"Should've known you'd intercept us. It's fine, though. I've been seeking revenge ever since that day, so thanks for coming to me, asshole." Daiki hissed as he gripped the handle of the spear Taiga purchased for him.</p><p>"Ahh, aggressive as ever, little brother."</p><p>"Don't fucking call me that!" The blunette spun his weapon and jabbed it forward, pointing it just inches away from Shoichi's throat.</p><p>Once again, Shoichi waved off the lances that his guards drew, then he sauntered around the trio so he stood outside the gate with his men following his every move. "So cruel, even after all the efforts I exerted to find you."</p><p>"Cut the bullshit, you snake. You took my life. What else do you want from me?" Daiki narrowed his eyes while Taiga stood at the ready next to the fallen Prince, prepared to aid him at a moment's notice.</p><p>"Ah, you see..." Shoichi hummed as he carefully unsheathed his longsword. Slowly, one centimetre at a time. With each movement, the three glowered. Their hearts thundered in their chests while they tried to anticipate what was about to come.</p><p>Wind whipped past Daiki and Taiga's face as the sword was abruptly unsheathed, but the impact was not felt even when they stared at the man's back, not the front. Not a drop of blood was drawn, yet...</p><p>The two soldiers behind Shoichi dropped. Their decapitated heads rolled on the ground and blood spurted out, painting the ground along with Shoichi red.</p><p>"What—" Satsuki stumbled backwards. "What is the meaning of this?"</p><p>"Oh, relax. They were merely in the way." The dark-haired male scoffed as he turned around to reveal blood-coated face that he wiped with a handkerchief. "Hmm... it seems that I have let the Prince escape. Whatever shall I do..." He chuckled in a singsong tone while cleaning his glasses.</p><p>"Let's go." Daiki murmured, voice darkened with anger and confusion. He knew not what the motives behind the man's action were, but like hell he'd let this chance pass him by. "C'mon!" He said louder, this time tugging on his companions' wrists.</p><p>Tentatively, the two followed after him. They ran until Shoichi was no longer in sight, then jumped up to their horses with Satsuki joining Daiki. The field was empty. The grass shifted underneath the horseshoes as they trotted further and further away, not looking back until they could no longer see Seirin behind them.</p><p>There was no turning back now.</p><p>"What the fuck was that about?" Was the first thing Taiga uttered as they slowed down from a gallop.</p><p>"Fuck if I know. He's always been a weird one." The blunette seethed, his dark blue eyes burning with fury. Taiga suspected that the only thing keeping Daiki calm was Satsuki's arms around his waist. "What about you, Sats'ki? Any clue why he killed his own guards?"</p><p>The pinkette was quiet. She had her brows furrowed as she looked down at the rocky terrain that blurred as they continued moving. "Uhm," she muttered, "I don't think Shoichi's a bad guy."</p><p>"Huh!?" This time, the blunette snapped his head as far as it could go towards his sister. "He killed father! Dunked a whole fucking vial of poison down his throat!"</p><p>"In all fairness, we didn't know what <em>exactly</em> he tried to feed him. We just assumed the worst because our emotions overcame us. Besides, you saw the look in Maria's face when she saw what transpired." Satsuki paused as if deep in thought. "She was fuming. Had she truly been plotting for father's demise, she would have been ecstatic that her son was aiding her endeavours."</p><p>That made quiet befell Daiki who simply frowned.</p><p>"The day you were—" She cleared her throat to rid of her shaky voice. "—were banished, I saw a large bruise on Shoichi's cheek. I believe it was Maria's doing..."</p><p>"You don't mean to tell me," Daiki shook his head in disbelief. "That he is being <em>abused</em> by his mother?"</p><p>The princess nodded solemnly. "Of course this is all just speculation and I might be mistaken, but I think... what Shoichi was doing that day was... trying to cure father."</p><p>Another dead silence. This time, it lasted for a good minute. The entire time, they could only hear their horses trotting over the land and wind whipping past them.</p><p>"I don't think he wants any part in Maria's plans, Dai-chan. I mean, s-she... she hit me sometimes—"</p><p>"Fucker!" The dark-skinned male spat out, interrupting her.</p><p>"Please, Dai-chan. It's nothing comparing to what you've been through." The pinkette rubbed her brother's shoulder reassuringly. And although Daiki's expression was still contorted with fury, he kept his mouth shut.</p><p>"Shoichi never hurt me, you see. Sometimes, he'd take me someplace else when I was certain that Maria was going to confront me. Of course, he did it under the guise of playing with his 'brand new toy', but he never did anything except let me sit in the corner of his bedroom." Satsuki confessed. The relief and sincerity in her voice only meant that she was being honest. "And besides, why else would he let us escape like that if he truly means us harm?"</p><p>"I don't get it..." Daiki strained. "You mean to say that Shoichi's innocent?"</p><p>"Yes." She nodded.</p><p>"But that doesn't make any sense!" He objected. "I mean, if he really doesn't wanna hurt us, then why didn't he say it outright!?"</p><p>"I will not pretend to understand his motives, but as it stands right now, I believe that Shoichi, too, is a victim in Maria's scheme."</p><p>Once again, a heavy sense of quiet stretched. That was, until Taiga spoke.</p><p>"Well, no use thinking about it if you guys aren't sure. For now, we have to think about how to prove Prince Daiki's innocence."</p><p>"I'm no Prince. Call me Daiki." The blunette murmured. "Anyway, I've got no plan. Satsuki?"</p><p>The Princess sighed, but there was something fond about it. "You haven't changed, Dai-chan." And before the other could say anything in rebuttal, she continued. "Why don't we visit Midorin? If there's someone who might know anything about what happened that day, it's him."</p><p>"Midorin?" Taiga tilted his head.</p><p>"Shintarou Midorima. He is the owner of the Great Library in the Shuutoku region." At the puzzled look she was given in return, she curled her lips. "Ahh, you haven't been paying attention to your history lesson, have you, Tai-chan!" She reprimanded in a sisterly, borderline motherly tone. "Well, I'll explain on the way there, so you'd better keep your ears wide open, okay!"</p><p>And boy, did Taiga have a bad feeling about that.</p><p>.</p><p>Books upon books spanned the entire length of the corridor. The Great Library was around ten storeys tall, constructed in a perfectly circular structure with no ladders or floor slabs to be seen except for the ground. Magic flowed from the middle of the room up to the ceiling where it painted the entire room in a misty shade of white that made it look so very ethereal.</p><p>Levitating on the sixth storey, approximately 24 metres in the air, was the young owner Shintarou who was putting a book back into place.</p><p>"Shin-chaaaaan."</p><p>The drawling noise disrupted the greenhead. He clicked his tongue. "What is it, Takao?"</p><p>A black-haired male lazily floated towards the only other person in the library. "Let's go out. I'm bored."</p><p>"Have you finished sorting out the books on section B-231-n?"</p><p>"C'mooooon, don't be such a workaholic all the time. We're running out of food, so let's go get some more before we starve to death. I'm sure sorting those out can wait."</p><p>"Procrastinating as always." Shintarou sighed but didn't outright refuse the request which made Kazunari's eyes shine.</p><p>"Hm?" He blinked, head turning behind him before he had the chance to say anything in response. "Someone's coming. Three people."</p><p>That piqued Shintarou's interest. For the first time in the span of a few minutes, he looked away from the texts and towards his assistant. "Who are they?"</p><p>Magic glowed in Kazunari's eyes as he took a moment of silence to pour his full focus into identifying who these people were. "Ohh! Now that's someone I never thought I'd see again!" He laughed. "It's Prince Daiki with Princess Satsuki and... hm," He frowned. "An unfamiliar face... red hair. Weird eyebrows..."</p><p>"Taiga Kagami."</p><p>"You're a freak." Kazunari snorted.</p><p>"And you are an ignorant fool. The only redheaded family lines are the Akashi's and the Kagami's. You mentioned peculiar eyebrows, something that the prior do not have, nor the elder of the latter." Shintarou brushed the comment off. "Deactivate the barrier. Let them in."</p><p>"Aye, aye, boss!" He grinned, this time descending down to the ground so he could cast his spell.</p><p>.</p><p>Taiga was pretty sure his brain stopped working after Satsuki said something about how the mighty Shuutoku Kingdom fell centuries ago after some sort of war between them and the dragons. Cheery stuff.</p><p>"...And that's how the Great Library was formed! Instead of rebuilding the kingdom, they centralised their seas of knowledge and poured their remaining resources into erecting an impenetrable barrier. Without the will of Midorin, we won't be able to see the place, let alone enter it!"</p><p>"...Right." Taiga said, confused as hell.</p><p>Thankfully, Daiki interrupted before Satsuki could begin to quiz him. "I'm honestly surprised that you didn't back off on the last moment. So you've got some balls."</p><p>"Hey, what do you mean by that! I don't back off that easily!" Taiga huffed. "And I've already told you that I've been wanting to do some adventuring."</p><p>"Still, this might not be the one for you. We're here to prove my innocence, not to fight some dragon. I doubt you'll find the thrill you're looking for, you blockhead."</p><p>"Urrrk. You're such an asshole!" Despite the frustrated exclamation, Taiga continued. "I just needed an excuse to get out of the walls. Anything is better than being stuck there."</p><p>"Surely you can turn to the adventurer's guild for that."</p><p>"And risk my dad finding out then possibly forcing me to withdraw? Nope." He said. "He's nice, but he's always been too protective of me. I need to go somewhere far, <em>far</em> away to escape his nagging, then come back to him to prove that I'm not a baby anymore. Preferably with something cool as proof too. I think helping an unjustly sentenced Prince ascends his rightful throne definitely counts!"</p><p>Daiki chuckled at such an earnest reply. He seriously couldn't get enough of Taiga's adorable naivete. It was that exact thing that led him to believe that there was no ulterior motives behind Taiga's kindness. The man was simply incapable of lying, considering how stupid he was.</p><p>"You guys are so cute." Satsuki giggled, making the men's cheeks heat up. "I've never seen you this happy before, Dai-chan."</p><p>"H-happy!? I'm not. At all!"</p><p>"Sure, I totally believe you. It's not like you've been smiling our entire trip or anything..."</p><p>"T-that's just because it's funny seeing how clueless this oaf is at the simplest history lesson! I mean, did you see his face? He didn't understand a single thing you said!" The blunette quickly defended himself.</p><p>"Excuse me!? I bet you didn't know too before today. Stop talking like you're smarter than me, dumbass!" Taiga snapped back.</p><p>With the bickering about each other's intelligence commencing, Satsuki could only watch by with a fond grin on her face. It had been so long since he'd last seen his brother or heard his voice. It was only yesterday that she was gravely concerned about his mental state, but now, she was extremely relieved to see that he came out of such a predicament like nothing happened.</p><p>Of course, she didn't believe for a second that Daiki was fully unharmed. There was no plausible way that anyone could've gone through what he did without some sort of trauma. And it was that thinking that led her to decide that she must pay a close attention to him. She must do her best to keep her brother safe.</p><p>Their arguments, however, soon dissipated the moment they saw a ripple in the air not too far away from where they were. Taiga had to shake his head to make sure that it wasn't his head playing tricks on him.</p><p>Something sliced through the nothingness. Bluish hue glimmered as a hole was cut in the air. From behind it, appeared a slim, relatively tall male with raven-black hair and a welcoming smile.</p><p>"Welcome, welcome!" He waved.</p><p>"Whua—" Taiga stuttered. "What? What the hell?"</p><p>"Kazuuu!" Satsuki returned the gesture with affection. "Is Midorin home?"</p><p>"Saying it like he's ever left. Honestly, he needs some sunlight or his bones are gonna crack before his time." Kazunari grinned. "And Prince Daiki, back from the grave!"</p><p>The blunette rolled his eyes. It was obvious that he found such amicability unappealing. Perhaps too feigned?</p><p>"Along with Taiga Kagami. You are an unexpected guest."</p><p>The redhead blinked. "You know me?"</p><p>"Shin-chan knows everything about everyone. Don't get on his bad side or he'll blackmail you." Kazunari winked as he ushered them in through the rip that closed the moment everyone was inside.</p><p>In front of them, stood a mighty structure enveloped in dark masonry, overgrown with vines and foliage which was extremely jarring after the barren land they just travelled through. While there were no signs of wildlife, they could hear the chirping of birds somewhere in the distance.</p><p>"Where... are we?" Taiga muttered as he observed his surroundings.</p><p>"Welcome to Shuutoku! Or, what's left of it, anyway." Kazunari gestured to the building. "Shin-chan is inside, so let's go. The sooner you conclude your business, the sooner I can drag him out of this miserable place before mould grows on him."</p><p>Satsuki giggled at the humour as they were led towards the entrance just around the corner. The entire time, Taiga continued staring in awe at the structure and continuously rubbed the surface as if expecting it to disintegrate any time soon.</p><p>"This is my first time here too. I've heard all about it from Kazunari, but this is actually pretty cool." Daiki said while his eyes followed the ethereal blue butterflies that flew around them.</p><p>"What are these?"</p><p>"Magical apparatus." Opening the gate with the spell from his right hand, Kazunari answered. "It's a secondary defence mechanism. If we have intruders, they'll kill them."</p><p>"Uh!?" Taiga jolted back before his finger could touch one of them.</p><p>"They secrete poison cloud that can kill a fully-grown adult in a matter of seconds."</p><p>"You guys have intruders? I mean... there's nothing here." The redhead curiously narrowed his eyes while their footsteps echoed inside the empty hallway.</p><p>"How rude, Tai-chan!" Satsuki once again reprimanded. It was a voice that immediately made him flinch because he knew that he was about to get lectured. "Knowledge is <em>power</em>. In the wrong hands, it can bring about destruction. Do you understand just how many dark magics are archived here!? If a misguided soul stumbles upon one of them, we can all <em>die</em>! But of course, I wouldn't expect you or Dai-chan to know, considering how little you utilise your critical thinking abilities!"</p><p>"Hey, why'd I get dragged into this!?" Daiki sputtered.</p><p>Kazunari heartily laughed at that. "You'll honestly be surprised by how many corpses we keep underground."</p><p>"Urp!" That made both Taiga and Daiki jolt. Pale, they glanced at the floor underneath them as if expecting it to crumble and expose the skeleton foundation.</p><p>"I'm kidding."</p><p>The two exhaled in unison just in time for them to walk past yet another gate—this time, larger and far more ornate with pure gold frames and jewels decorating the two hawks that were etched into the surface. If the craftsmanship of that was impressive, what they saw inside made their jaws drop.</p><p>Satsuki squealed as she entered. "Ohh! This is more beautiful than I could ever imagine!" Said the Princess with an obvious spring in her steps. "So many books... Ah, Midorin!" She eagerly waved at the approaching Sage who was holding a thin book. The cover was velvet red and there was a silver label embossed onto the cover.</p><p>"Good evening. What brings you here, Princess?" The bespectacled male bowed courteously. "I see that you have fetched your problematic brother out of slavery. He is looking well."</p><p>"I don't die that easily." Daiki shrugged.</p><p>The statement confused Taiga. "How did you know that? I mean, not even Satsuki knew..."</p><p>Shintarou glanced calculatingly at the redhead and adjusted his glasses. "Taiga Kagami, the only son of the Kagami family. Your mother, Erika, passed away when you were five years old and you were raised by your servants. You are particularly close with your adopted brother Tetsuya Kuroko and Tatsuya Himuro from the Yosen Kingdom." At the bewildered expression, Shintarou sauntered towards the lavish large wooden desk near them. "I know a great many things, Taiga. Now please, sit down."</p><p>"This is why I don't like you." Daiki replied distastefully, but with a smirk.</p><p>"And I, you."</p><p>"You don't like anyone, though, Shin-chan." Kazunari quipped. "Anyway, I'll make you guys some tea!" Before Shintarou could give him one of <em>those</em> looks, he fled.</p><p>"I presume you are here regarding King Shiraki's passing?"</p><p>"Yes." Satsuki was the one who replied. Gone was her childish excitement. In its position was tension. "If you know anything about that day, please, you must tell us."</p><p>Shintarou gently placed the book on the table, then he leaned back. "And what will I receive in return?"</p><p>"I believe we will discuss that once Dai-chan cleans his name. As the rightful ruler, he will be able to bestow upon you many things you might desire."</p><p>Shintarou simply stared at Satsuki emotionlessly for a few seconds before he closed his eyes. "While I prefer to have my payment outright instead of promised, I owe you many favours, Princess. It would be unbecoming of me to demand more." Said the Sage with the smallest hint of a smile on the corner of his lips.</p><p>"We're listening." Daiki tapped his fingers impatiently.</p><p>"Patience." Shintarou exhaled. "What have you gathered thus far, Princess?"</p><p>"Shoichi is a victim, not a perpetrator."</p><p>The bespectacled male bobbed his head down firmly. Opening his book to reveal pages that were absolutely devoid of texts or pictures, Shintarou ghosted his palm over a specific one, and using magic, he drew out an empty vial out of it.</p><p>"W-what did you just do!?" Taiga's eyes sparkled in excitement at the strange display.</p><p>"To the untrained eyes, the books here are meaningless. However, as a matter of fact, they house many things. Not words or images alone, but items." Shintarou explained as he let the glass object levitate above his hand. "I trust that you recognise this?"</p><p>Satsuki and Daiki nodded.</p><p>"I was in the vicinity when the tragedy strike, hence why I possess this. The first matter I attended to the moment I arrived back here was to thoroughly inspect it." He continued while Kazunari placed a few cups of steaming hot tea in front of everyone. "Depending on its makeup, it can be exceedingly difficult to determine whether something is poison or an antidote."</p><p>"But I'm an expert at that, you see!" The dark-haired male interrupted. "That thing is a potion, through and through! It's cleverly concealed, but there's no mistaking it."</p><p>Shintarou cleared his throat. "I did not recall requesting your input, Takao."</p><p>"Aw, Shin-chan, you're so cold! We've worked together for twenty years. Call me Kazu!"</p><p>Completely ignoring the remark, he put the item back into the book and closed it. "While this is not concrete proof of his innocence, I believe that might put to rest some of your concerns."</p><p>"Seriously...?" Daiki shook his head in disbelief. He could scarcely accept that the man he spent so long hating, was possibly only trying to help them. Even Taiga who only knew of this today frowned.</p><p>Satsuki deflated on her seat with a relieved smile. "I see." She uttered. "I think we owe him an apology, Dai-chan."</p><p>And Daiki loathed to admit it, but if what Shintarou said really was true, then they really did. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>THERE'S A PLOT TWIST<br/>I hope I didn't info dump too much lfjkdjkldf I'm always so worried</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had only been approximately fifteen minutes, yet Satsuki refused to budge from her spot.</p><p>With her wide eyes she stared into the distance where her brother walked away, disgraced and stripped from all of his authority. It was frightening how quickly the soldiers turned on him, but she suspected that the Imayoshi's had completely ensnared everyone in their webs of lies. True to a merchant, Maria was an exceptional manipulator who could tip the balance in her favour.</p><p>She remained silent the entire time even when everyone was long gone. Somewhere within her, she wanted to scream, cry and run after her brother, but no doubt that he would force her back into the castle. It didn't take a scholar to surmise that she would fare a better chance at disputing such false criminal claim from within, as a Princess, rather than a nobody.</p><p>And that was the only thing keeping her there. One way or another, she must prove Daiki's innocence, imprison the treacherous pair and reclaim the Kingdom. She would get it done or die trying. All of those years she meticulously studied tactics and politics had all amalgamated, and she swore to use every drop of her knowledge to fight back.</p><p>So, with a deep inhale, she steeled her resolve and turned back into the castle where her new life began. There was no saying what would happen to her there now that her family had been wiped out, but she would not give up.</p><p>The moment she entered her bedroom, she sat on her bed and began to concoct a scheme. First of all, she must arrange for some sort of stream of intel through her a stalwart, well-travelled ally who would be able to gather information regarding Daiki's whereabouts. If she could keep track of him at all time, then she would rest well.</p><p>Then, she must find a friend inside this castle; one who had yet to turn on her. Someone to confide in and be trusted to execute her plans, if need be, as well as keep an eye on the Imayoshi's. These were no simple task, but ones that she must see through in order to get somewhere.</p><p>She didn't even realise that the sun had already set by the time she laid out the foundations of her scheme. She only snapped out of it when she heard a light knocking on her front door that she tentatively glanced at.</p><p>"Come in." She quietly said.</p><p>The door was then promptly opened to reveal a meek-looking brunette who nervously looked at her with a cart of food with him. "S-sorry, Princess... I-I thought you might need some nourishment."</p><p>"Ah, Ryou. My thanks." A smile found its way onto her thin lips as she welcomed the familiar face of the always-apologetic head chef who nervously walked inside the space. The brunette, while meek, she knew as an extremely proud man. She was compelled to trust him with her predicaments but decided to say nothing for the time being. She would like to observe everyone's movements first.</p><p>She saw a glimpse of a spiky platinum blond-haired man walking past her chamber through the open door. He wore a polished metal armour with a dark blue cape attached to the shoulderpiece, and a trusty blade sheathed on his side. The young commander, Kousuke Wakamatsu who happened to be next on her list. The brash and reckless, still very young knight who always had beef with Daiki. Despite all their antics, she didn't think he hated her brother. In fact, she heard on a few occasions that he, in fact, respected the Prince for his combat prowess even though he'd sooner die than admit it. As an earnest individual with a strong sense of justice, she doubted that he would side Maria if he knew the whole story.</p><p>"I-is it really true?" The brunette quietly asked. "About... Prince Daiki, I mean."</p><p>Satsuki stayed silent, instead opting to stare at her food.</p><p>"S-sorry! It's not my place to ask... I'll excuse myself! Rest well, P-princess!" Ryou swiftly scrambled towards the door, once again leaving Satsuki in solitude.</p><p>Exhaling, the pinkette took a piece of bread and began tearing it into smaller pieces, half as an anxious gesture and half because she wanted to eat.</p><p>.</p><p>Life after that was tough.</p><p>Not only did she garner many stares and whispers from the servants whenever she walked past them, but she also had to tread carefully within her own house. As expected, Maria had brainwashed most of the castle knights with the promise of money or reputation.</p><p>"Morning, Princess!" A boisterous voice cut through her thoughts as the sight of Kousuke Wakamatsu filled her gaze.</p><p>"Ah, good morning, Kousuke." She smiled when he bowed. As she had originally thought, this man remained unaffected by the Queen's sweet promises. "What's the matter?" She asked upon seeing how distraught the young knight was.</p><p>"Ah, nothing... it's just..." He frowned. "Hard to believe that Prince Daiki's not here anymore. It's rare seeing you without him."</p><p>The Princess lowered her gaze and deflated her shoulders. "Yes. It's unfortunate, but I am working tirelessly day and night to find a way to bring him back." She whispered quietly so that no one else could hear her.</p><p>Kousuke scratched his blond hair and silenced his voice into a mere hush. "Listen, I might not get along with him, but I would hate for bad things to actually happen to him. So, if you need any help, let me know. I mean, I don't know the entire story behind the banishment but I don't think that he's capable of actually killing King Shiraki, his own father... Nor you, Princess. You two loved him, I can tell."</p><p>With a breath of relief, Satsuki nodded. "Thank you, Kousuke. An ally is difficult to find, at times like this."</p><p>"And I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but... Queen Maria is expecting you in the throne room." The blond scowled, knowing full well that it was unwise to defy a Queen's order, no matter the disdain one might hold towards her.</p><p>Satsuki's brows furrowed, but she said nothing else save for a curt nod. Excusing herself, she walked towards her destination with low heels clicking every step she took. The tension was palpable even for the onlookers.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, she gazed upon the ornate gate standing five metres tall with frames of gold. She remembered entering this very place with elation just a few weeks ago. Now, there was nothing but trepidation. The guards on either side stood tall as she pushed open the structure and allowing a stream of artificial light to flood her sight.</p><p>With red carpet to guide her eyes forward, she saw the wretched traitor sitting on the throne that was not hers. On her head was a shimmering crown and just to her right underneath the steps was Shoichi.</p><p>Satsuki spared no formality. She simply stared at her <em>mother</em> dead in the eyes with hostility. The gesture led to the Queen narrowing her eyes, clearly taking offence.</p><p>"And to what do I owe this <em>honour</em>." She spat bitterly, then watched as she descended down towards her.</p><p>Satsuki wouldn't say it was unexpected. In fact, she foresaw this coming, but that didn't mean she was prepared at that very moment to stand her ground. The backhand to her cheek came in a split second, practically knocking her off her feet until she dropped in front of Shoichi.</p><p>"Be grateful that I did not throw you to the wolves the way I did your pathetic brother." The Queen hissed, her voice leaking with hostility as she lowered herself and yanked Satsuki's hair. "You still have some value to me yet and I would like it if you remain in one piece until I am through with you."</p><p>With her cheek stinging in pain, she gritted her teeth and snarled at Maria before she was abruptly dropped. Despite the humiliation, she refused to lash out as that would be unwise, especially with a room occupied with fully-armed knights.</p><p>"Come now, Princess. Do not sour this throne room with your futile groveling." With a smirk, Shoichi said. He was looking at anyone but Satsuki and his hands were behind his back in a relaxed yet polite stance. "You do not comprehend how fortunate you are to still remain here after the death sentence we gave your beloved brother."</p><p>"Dai-chan won't give in just like that. He'll come back. I know he will." Satsuki objected as she got to her feet and prepared to leave.</p><p>"Ah, mother dearest?" Shoichi started which prompted the Queen to raise her eyebrows at him. "May I take the Princess so I may brief her on her situations? You need not taint your hands with her."</p><p>She scoffed. "Do what you like. Just do not scar that pretty face of hers lest her value plummets."</p><p>With a bow, he smirked. "But of course. Then, we shall be off, Princess." Said the male, offering a hand that Satsuki blatantly ignored.</p><p>"Do not touch me." She seethed, much to Shoichi's apparent amusement.</p><p>"Suit yourself." He shrugged before tilting his head towards the gate. With a furious huff, she walked towards it despite the anxiety swirling in her stomach. There was no telling what Shoichi's plans were, but Satsuki had no other choice but to play into his hands for now.</p><p>The entire way there, scenarios of what would happen played in her head. What exactly did Shoichi have in store for her? She dreaded to find out. Would he beat her? Torture her, or worse yet, violate her?</p><p>She was escorted into his chamber where the door was locked behind her. Shoichi shrugged off his cape and placed it neatly on the hanger before walking towards his desk and grabbing a thick book.</p><p>Then, nothing.</p><p>Shoichi simply sat on his bed and began reading. It continued for a few minutes until Satsuki snapped him out of it.</p><p>"Excuse me? You will just <em>ignore</em> me?"</p><p>"Huh, what else was I supposed to do?" He tilted his head, still with a cryptic smirk. "Ah, right. The explanations. Mother simply wishes to marry you off to the highest bidder, but you're an intelligent woman. I'm sure you already know that. Hence my silence."</p><p>The Princess frowned. "Well, may I leave?"</p><p>"No." Was the straightforward answer.</p><p>"And will you elaborate why?" Tapping her foot, she asked impatiently.</p><p>"All in due time, dearest sister," He chuckled. "All in due time..."</p><p>.</p><p>Seeing it from the outside was one thing. The tower of Shuutoku looked extremely unhospitable, hence their surprise when they were met with one of the most elegant bedrooms they had ever seen. While Shintarou was kind enough to give them each one room to sleep on, right now, all three were gathered inside Satsuki's while snacking on the biscuits Kazunari baked earlier.</p><p>Lounging on the fluffy bed covered with velvet red blanket edged with soft fur, Daiki frowned. "Okay, that's shady as hell." He commented in response to Satsuki's retelling of what happened when he was away. "What does he mean 'all in due time'? Can't he be a bit more straightforward?"</p><p>"I'm sure he has his reasons." The pinkette murmured. "He never elaborated further as well, but I kind of understand why. Maria is an intelligent woman. If she so much as to even have an inkling that Shoichi might turn against him, she might do the unthinkable."</p><p>"Crazy!" Taiga exhaled loudly. "She's insane, this Maria person. She'd actually kill or banish her own son?"</p><p>"You will be surprised by how far one will go to maintain power. I can't claim to understand, but..." Satsuki replied with a slightly resigned voice.</p><p>"Besides, no one is allowed to marry you until I get a good look at them." Daiki crossed his arms and huffed. The sincerity behind those words led Taiga to chuckle, which in turn, made Daiki flush red. "W-what?! What are you laughing at?"</p><p>The redhead clutched his stomach and doubled over before finally taking a deep breath and grinning, not forgetting to wipe the tears on the corner of his eyes. "Who would've thought you're capable of being <em>that </em>cute?"</p><p>"C-cu—" He stopped halfway, baffled. With his mouth hanging open in shock, Satsuki joined Taiga in a fit of laughter too.</p><p>"Right!?" She giggled amidst her hysterics. "Dai-chan is secretly a protective doll! He might not look like it, but he will defend those he loves to the end of the earth." Explained Satsuki fondly as she stood up from her couch and suffocated Daiki in a crushing hug.</p><p>"Move, move—" The blunette choked. "Your boobs are too big! I'm gonna die!"</p><p>The Princess gasped at that and immediately let go. "How crass!"</p><p>The antics made Taiga chuckle once again. What a great sibling dynamic, he decided.</p><p>"Still..." She smiled fondly and her eyes mellowed out. "I've missed you, Dai-chan. I'm so, <em>so </em>glad that we found each other again."</p><p>Blushing, Daiki nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Me too." He paused. "How did you know where to find me anyway?"</p><p>"I didn't. Shoichi was the one who tracked you down and requested leave to fetch you. He asked me if I wanted to tag along, and there was never really any other answer. He knew that too." She explained with a curl on her nose. "It was suspicious, but I didn't have any other choice. It led me to you, so I guess everything worked out fine."</p><p>Daiki leaned back against the headboard and drummed his fingers on his stomach. "I still dunno what to make of him."</p><p>"If he didn't do anything wrong, then I don't think you should overthink it. We'll focus on getting you back to your throne and <em>then </em>we'll get back to that." Taiga cut in, followed by Satsuki's nod.</p><p>"Leave that to me, Dai-chan. I'll come up with something."</p><p>"Where did that green bastard go anyway? I thought we were supposed to discuss our next plan of attack." Daiki exhaled in exasperation. He was rightfully impatient, considering it was his entire life on the line here.</p><p>"Patience, Dai-chan. Midorin has much to ponder."</p><p>"What do you mean? Isn't it easy to just tell us what he knows and we go from there? From what I've seen, he's hardly scratched the surface..." Taiga tilted his head.</p><p>The pinkette furrowed her brows. "If only it was that simple... With great power, comes great responsibility. Anyone who is in charge of the Great Library must take an oath of impartiality, meaning they cannot divulge anything that might give someone an unfair advantage. Midorin might be the most knowledgeable person walking the earth right now, but that doesn't mean he can go around spreading a piece of his mind to just anyone."</p><p>"Of course nothing can be simple." Taiga threw his head back and groaned.</p><p>"But not all hope is lost! While he seems callous, he is a kind person, deep down. He will find a way to tell us what we need without it crossing the line. To do that, he will need some alone time to review everything he knows about that day. All we can do right now is wait."</p><p>"Sitting around on my ass ain't really my thing!" The redhead abruptly got to his feet and dusted his pants. "Let's look around, Daiki. Maybe we'll find something cool outside."</p><p>"Heh. Beats doing nothin', I guess. I'll see you later then, Satsuki." Said Daiki as he followed Taiga towards the door.</p><p>As it turned out, Shuutoku was far larger than Taiga gave it credit for. They had wandered around for roughly two hours in the forest, occasionally seeing stags and rabbits, but no predators as of yet. Right now, they sat near a pond connected to a stream of the running river while playfully skipping rocks. So far, Taiga led.</p><p>"You're just lucky." Daiki sneered in a condescending manner.</p><p>"And you're just bitter you're bad." The other male laughed. "So, tell me more about life in the castle. What's it like?"</p><p>"Hmm..." The blunette hummed for a moment. "It was fine. Our head chef cooks mean lunches. He's kinda a pain in the butt, though. Always apologising even though he did nothing wrong. Oh, and then there's one of the knights. Wakamatsu family. I always have such a fun time picking on him." He grinned.</p><p>"So you're a bully to everyone."</p><p>"Hey, can't help it. Some people are more fun to get a rise out of more than others. Like you, for example."</p><p>"Oi!" Taiga elbowed his friend though there was no hostility behind it. In fact, he was slowly getting used to the jabs and honestly found it endearing. There was never any poison in Daiki's insults either, as daft as he was.</p><p>"When this is all said and done, I'll introduce you to them. If..." He hesitated. "Well, if they haven't fallen for Maria's sweet nothings anyway. That vermin knows how to sink her claws."</p><p>The redhead nodded. "Well, let's find out together."</p><p>"Yeah." Daiki answered, kicking the gravel under him, then bending down to grab a flat rock. "I wonder how Red's doing... My pet. A spoiled little thing, he is." Said he while he flung the object that skipped on the water surface.</p><p>Enjoying the calm and the smell of nature in the air, Taiga took a seat on a clean patch of grass and inhaled deeply before lying down with his arms spread. "It feels good, being out of the walls."</p><p>Daiki hummed in agreement. "I was never allowed to step out of my castle, let alone the gates, so I get what you mean. Well, when I'm not being enslaved anyway." He chuckled at the dark joke that made a pang of hurt swell inside of him. It was cruel how even after a few months, he could still vividly recall all the physical pain.</p><p>"I wish I was your first." Taiga muttered. Perhaps then, there would be no bumps between them and Daiki wouldn't have to go through what he did.</p><p>Next to him, the blunette snorted. "Invite me to dinner first, would ya?"</p><p>"Wha—" His cheeks immediately fumed as he shot up to a sitting position. "I didn't mean it like that, you perv!"</p><p>"Uh-huh. We both know you like guys. No shame in finding me attractive. Most people do." He shrugged mockingly which only contributed to Taiga's embarrassment. "But in all seriousness," His tone suddenly dropped and his teasing eyes widened a little in a display of genuine curiosity. "How did you find out?"</p><p>"Uhm..." Taiga scratched his head as he tried to recall the exact when and how. "I dunno. I guess it must've been because I don't find women's body appealing, but when I look at other men's, it's a whole different story. And, uh, well... I can't picture myself being in a romantic relationship with women. Or something like that."</p><p>Daiki exhaled loudly. "Yeah, no mistaking it. I mean, you really must be gay to not find that mentor of yours fucking hot."</p><p>"You get used to her." Taiga rolled his eyes albeit fondly, just in time for a loud howl to echo in the distance.</p><p>"...That..." Daiki looked up at the orange sky signalling sunset, then back at Taiga. "...wasn't your stomach, right?"</p><p>"Of course it wasn't, you asshat!" The other male glowered, not forgetting to give Daiki a good slap on the shoulder.</p><p>"Then what the hell was it?" He continued while rubbing the sore spot.</p><p>Suddenly, there was a rustling noise behind the bushes and when they looked that way, they saw two men with light brown hair emerging out of it. On their backs were spears. "A dragon, I daresay." Said the taller one. "We know that a few of them still lie dormant to this day, but they've been coming out of their nest more and more often. It's concerning."</p><p>The shorter one crossed his arms while furrowing his brows. "Annoying."</p><p>"You two must be the guests Shintarou mentioned. We are two of the very few people currently living here. I'm Kiyoshi and this is Yuuya, my little brother." Said the taller.</p><p>Taiga blinked. "Oh, I didn't know other people still live here."</p><p>"It's practically negligible. It's only four of us on patrol duty while Shintarou and Kazunari hole themselves up in the tower. Almost everyone upped, left and never returned ever since the destruction of Shuutoku all those centuries ago."</p><p>"Hm..." The redhead mulled. "Dragons, huh..." He knew that those creatures still existed to this day, but never in his wildest imagination that he'd have a chance to see it up close. Large, feral, uncontrollable... just how majestic were they, truly? "Where do they live?"</p><p>"Up there in the caves. We have a few around, so—wait, you're not thinking about it, are you?" Yuuya frowned.</p><p>"Uh... no. Definitely not. I mean, why would I... right?" Taiga laughed nervously but it certainly fooled no one. Cautiously, the two men stared at him and sighed.</p><p>"Don't do anything stupid. They're not child's play, you know? Get too close and you'll be their dinner. Anyway, we're off now, so get back to the tower soon. It's not safe out here at night." Kiyoshi said before going back to where he came from, along with his brother who gave them one last wave.</p><p>Silence took over the moment the patrols disappeared. In the distance, they once again hear a fierce howl that sent the birds scattering and the trees to blow. It took them a few seconds to react, but when they did, they did it together. Looking at each other, Taiga had a fire in his eyes that made Daiki flinch.</p><p>"Are you stupid?" He groaned. "You are<em> not</em> thinking about it."</p><p>"But dragons!" Taiga pumped his fists and took an abrupt step closer to his company. "Don't you wanna take a peek? Even just a little bit?"</p><p>"Urk!" Daiki involuntarily stepped back. The gleam in Taiga's eyes was too much for him to handle. The childlike innocence, unbridled curiosity unfitting of a fully grown man never ceased to take him off the left field.</p><p>"Come on, Daiki. Let's go! We're not gonna be long, I promise! We'll be back for dinner without so much as a scar."</p><p>"If the dragon doesn't kill me, Satsuki will." Mutter the dark-skinned male as he buried his face in his hands. The Heaven only knew what manner of terrifying that lady's wrath was. Daiki might care not for others intimidation tactics, but Satsuki's was one he never wanted to provoke.    </p><p>"Oh... don't tell me," Taiga grinned. "You're scared?"</p><p>"Okay, where's this dragon?" Daiki hissed, his veins snapping in an instant and all semblance of restraint with them.</p><p>"Now that's more like it! The noise came from over there, right? So let's head that way and see where it leads."</p><p>"Okay, let's go. Better be quick because I'm starving." The blunette grumbled as he checked the integrity of his weapon.</p><p>The two then traversed through the thin forest, noting how the wildlife peeked out to take a look at the two strangers they had never seen before. Above them, the sky grew darker still as the sun descended down towards the horizon. Turning a blind eye to the warning, they ran towards what they thought was the lair of the beast until the trees became less congregated.</p><p>Eventually, they were met with a rock face that spanned for around thirty metres, begging to be scaled.</p><p>"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Taiga grinned, smacking Daiki in the chest playfully.</p><p>Never been the one to back down from a challenge, the blunette smirked. "Oh, you're on!"</p><p>And with that, they began to climb up, one step at a time. Both having been quite adventurous from a young age, they rivalled each other. Neither one giving ground until they reached the top.</p><p>"Yeaaah!" Daiki threw his head back and pumped his fists the moment he crossed the finish line. Sweet, sweet victory. Triumphantly, he puffed his chest at Taiga who only just propped himself up, then lied on the ground with his chest rising up and down. "This is what you get for taking your axe. Get a lighter weapon or something."</p><p>"Shut up." He simply retorted. It took him a while to finally catch his breath and stand up, but when he did, Daiki was already inspecting the inside of the eerie cave. Under them was rocky terrain covered with dried leaves and branches. "You see anything?"</p><p>"Too dark." Daiki whispered, not wanting to agitate whatever was inside that place.</p><p>"Let's go further inside." The redhead replied after noting streams of light that entered from the broken ceiling all throughout the length of it.</p><p>With that, they both ventured forward. They were extremely careful, making the extra effort to keep their footsteps at a minimum just in case they'd be heard.</p><p>"Stop pushing!" Daiki grumbled.</p><p>"S-sorry." His companion stammered. Darkness wasn't exactly his best friend, after all. In fact, Taiga was ashamed to admit that he was horrendous with all things dark and creepy. What he was doing to Daiki wasn't 'pushing'. It was more accurate to call it 'clinging to' but not that he'd ever say that out loud. The manner of teasing that would entail it! "You find anything yet?"</p><p>"No—ow!" The blunette suddenly stopped. He held his nose that just bumped into something hard. "Dead end, huh? Maybe we missed a turn somewhere—"</p><p>"What is it?" Taiga peeked from behind Daiki's shoulder to see something glowing right in front of them. Not a few metres forward, but <em>right in front of them.</em></p><p>A loud snort followed. Then when they looked up, suddenly the deathly red glow was the least of their concern. A pair of bright yellow eyes, each twice as big as their heads stared down at them.</p><p>"D-d—dra—" Daiki paled after gazing upon the absolutely <em>furious</em> creature who began snarling at them. "Run!"</p><p>"Asshole, wait!" Just as quickly as his friend. he fled from the scene as fast as his legs could take him. It still wasn't enough, he suspected. Behind them, they heard an earth-shattering roar that threatened to burst their eardrums. However, they didn't want to think about what that meant. All they wanted to do at the time was find an escape.</p><p>"Shit, shit. Faster, Bakagami!" The blunette slowed down a little to grab a hold of his friend's hand and helped him to go just a little quicker.</p><p>They felt searing heat behind them, followed by the rocky surfaces around them reflecting fiery red that undoubtedly came from the dragon they so ungraciously bothered. Neither said it, but they knew exactly what was about to happen. They were going to be roast dinner if they didn't evade the attack that was to come.</p><p>The moment they could once again breathe fresh hair, both of them fell in a heap to the right side just in time for what could only be described as volcanic eruption, scorched the air. Even though they weren't standing on the way, they felt their skins burning to the point where they had to curl protectively.</p><p>Both nobles stayed there even after the fierce attack died down. The dragon didn't give chase, thankfully. As a result, they took some more time to catch their breath and let their adrenaline die down.</p><p>"...I..." Daiki wheezed. "I fucking hate you. I should've left you there to die, you idiot."</p><p>"Hey, I wasn't the one who bumped into it! You should've watched your surrounding a bit more carefully!" Defensively, Taiga pouted. It wasn't his fault. Like, at all.</p><p>"Maybe if you stopped clinging to me like an annoying girlfriend, I won't get distracted." He grunted while pointing at how hard the redhead was holding onto Daiki's arm even after they were in a safe space.</p><p>Embarrassed, he immediately pulled back and sat away from Daiki. "I-it was dark, okay! I can't see very well..."</p><p>"Stop making excuses. Just admit you like being close to me." Snorting mockingly, Daiki slowly got to his feet and patted his rear.</p><p>"Ugggh!! Not at all!"</p><p>"Whatever you say, <em>Master</em>. Let's go before Satsuki gets too worried about us." He rolled his eyes but not forgetting to extend a hand to Taiga so he could help the other out. The gesture was answered hesitantly.</p><p>The sun was getting even lower now. The moon was printed clear in the sky and they could see hints of gleaming stars. The previously amber sky was slowly transitioning into dark blue. With it, they heard a small howl of wolves in the distance signalling that, yes, they should start heading back before it got too late.</p><p>The entire trek back, Daiki looked up at the sky with a thin smile that made Taiga raise his eyebrows. As a result, he, too, followed the man. The two walked towards the Library with their eyes fixed on the sky, quiet until the redhead broke the quiet.</p><p>"You like stargazing?"</p><p>There was two seconds pause before the blunette turned towards Taiga questioningly. "What?"</p><p>"Nothing. I just noticed that you look at the stars a lot."</p><p>"Oh." He blinked. He didn't think he was being that obvious, but apparently, he was wrong. Slightly flustered, he rubbed the back of his neck and resorted to looking at the ground instead. "Can't see them in Touou. Sky's always covered with smoke."</p><p>"I see." Taiga smiled fondly. "Well, now you can look at them as much as you want. When we go back to Seirin, I have a spot that—" He paused the moment he realised what he just said. "Uhh, wait. You're... not going back, are you?"</p><p>He shrugged in response. "Dunno. I just wanna settle this whole thing first and then I'll think about that."</p><p>"Mm..." The slightly shorter male lowered his gaze.</p><p>He understood that once Daiki reclaimed his position as the rightful heir to the throne, he'd have little time for frivolities. He'd probably be busy studying everything about politics and the such. He would never have time to visit Seirin, considering the distance between the two kingdoms. While it would be nice to help Daiki ascend as a King, Taiga couldn't help feeling that it'd probably get a bit lonely without the blunette. Even after only a few weeks, he could hardly remember what life was like without Daiki anymore.</p><p><em>Maybe I should move to Touou or something,</em> he thought with a small frown.</p><p>"There you guys are!" A feminine voice greeted them, leading to the two snapping their heads forward to see that they already reached their destination. Satsuki stood there with her hands on her hips, lips curled in an annoyed pout. "Where have you been? Geez..."</p><p>"Sheesh, what are you, my mum?" With a loud sigh, Daiki poked a finger into his ear, an action so far removed from his descent. The sight made Taiga grin. He paced towards his newly found friends with a huge smile on his face.</p><p>"Hey, Satsuki. We saw this dragon, you see—"</p><p>"Idiot! Why would you say that!?" Daiki immediately slapped Taiga square on the shoulder so hard, he stumbled forward and almost lost his balance.</p><p>The moment Taiga realised how wide Satsuki's eyes opened, followed by a surprised gasp, he knew that he was about to get the lecture of his life.</p><p>But this life wasn't so bad, he decided. Short as it might be, it wasn't as quiet or monotone as the one he led in his mansion. At least out here, he could have a great adventure with even more awesome company who would ensure that nothing would ever be boring.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Dragons go brr<br/>Comments are always appreciated! &lt;3</p>
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